


Yuta's Moving Castle

by The_Sassiest_Trixster



Series: NCT [5]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Howl's Moving Castle Fusion, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Wizards, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Witches, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:07:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 32,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23482147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Sassiest_Trixster/pseuds/The_Sassiest_Trixster
Summary: Once upon a time, in the beautiful country of Ethera, hidden by thick mist, a strange metal creature creaked and groaned as it walked along the countryside, past farms and mountains. When the mist cleared, it revealed that the strange creature was actually known to many of the country’s people as Yuta’s Moving Castle.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Nakamoto Yuta, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le
Series: NCT [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668625
Comments: 50
Kudos: 85





	1. Saved by a Mysterious Man

**Author's Note:**

> Russian Translation found here: https://ficbook.net/readfic/9730331

Once upon a time, in the beautiful country of Ethera, hidden by thick mist, a strange metal creature creaked and groaned as it walked along the countryside, past farms and mountains. When the mist cleared, it revealed that the strange creature was actually known to many of the country’s people as Yuta’s Moving Castle.

~*~*~*~*~

In a small town, in a little shop full of drying herbs, flowers in vases, bubbling caldrons of potions, shelves full of spell books, and other things that you would normally find in a typical witch shop, a tall young man with light skin, dark brown hair, and brown eyes dressed in black ripped jeans, navy blue turtleneck, and black boots by the name of Dong Sicheng was working on a new potion as a large train with black smoke billowing out of the chimney passed by. As he was working on the potion, the neighboring owner of a hat shop, Jung Jaehyun, opened the door of his shop and poked his head inside.

“Sicheng?” he called out. The young man looked up from his potions and when he saw him, he smiled.

“Hello Jaehyun. Something I can do for you?” he asked, not moving away from his potion in fear of it bubbling over.

“We just closed our shop and were wondering if you wanted to come with us. You’re always cooped up in this shop working on your potions and other spells, so I thought you might want to enjoy yourself a little bit for once” Jaehyun answered. Sicheng chuckled and shook his head, motioning to the potion.

“While I would love to, I have to stay and finish this. You go and have fun” he gently commanded. Jaehyun sighed and shook his head.

“Have you eaten today?” he asked. Sicheng fell silent, thinking for a moment.

“No, I don’t believe I have” he replied. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Oh Sicheng” he murmured as he pushed open the door and stepped inside. He then walked over to where he was standing and placed his hands on his hips.

“You better eat after you finish this potion, you hear me?” he scolded. Sicheng nodded, a little terrified of the man. Just then, Jaehyun’s shop workers entered the shop, smiles on their faces.

“Hello Sicheng!” one young man greeted. The young man looked up at them and smiled as he continued to stir the potion that was bubbling in his pot.

“Hello Jeno” he replied. 

“I’ve never been in this shop before, it’s amazing!” another young man, Lee Donghyuck, complimented. Sicheng chuckled.

“Thank you” he replied. While the men were looking around, one young man, Na Jaemin, walked over to his shop window and looked out, only to let out a loud gasp.

“Oh, it’s Yuta’s Castle!” he exclaimed. The other men, and even Jaehyun, ran over to the shop window, trying to see what he had seen.

“Yuta!” they exclaimed. Sicheng glanced over at them and raised an eyebrow before he went back to focusing on the potion that was nearly closed to being finished.

“Do you think he can see us?” Jeno asked.

“Oh, I wonder if Yuta is in town!” Donghyuck exclaimed. Sicheng ignored their chatter and continued to focus on his potion, stirring it a few more times.

“He’s gone” a fourth man, Mark Lee, whined as he and the others watched as the metal moving castle disappeared into the passing mist as planes flew in front of it.

“No, he’s just hiding the fog from those planes” Jaemin scolded. Sicheng rolled his eyes as he stirred the potion in the cauldron, waiting for it to be perfect. He didn’t care about this Yuta, or whoever the men kept squealing about. He had better things to do than to worry about some mysterious man that no one had ever met.

“Did you hear what happened to that man Martha from South Haven? They say that Yuta tore her heart out!” Mark exclaimed.

“Now I’m too scared to go out!” Donghyuck cried. 

“Don’t worry, he only preys on pretty men” Jaemin teased. All the men laughed as Jaehyun walked past them, heading towards the entrance of the shop.

“Come along boys, we’re distracting Sicheng” he called out. The men nodded and quickly walked out of the shop while Jaehyun stayed behind and looked sternly at Sicheng.

“I expect you to eat after this, Dong Sicheng” he stated. Sicheng nodded.

“Yes sir” he replied sincerely. Jaehyun smiled and exited the shop, leaving Sicheng to his own devices. He then let out a breath of relief before he continued to stir the potion until the potion came out the way he wanted it to. He then bottled the potion and cleaned up his station before he looked around his shop, which felt a little too big for his liking at the moment.

 _‘I need to get out of here…I’m exhausted’_ the man thought as he brushed off his jeans and headed for the door, opening it and stepping outside. He then waved his hand, locking the shop, before he stepped onto the streets as planes passed over his head, flying the Royal Crest. 

~*~*~*~*~

He walked down the streets until he reached the bus stop, where the last bus for that day was waiting for people to get on. The double decker was packed and Sicheng just barely made it on as the conductor dinged the bell, signaling that it was ready to move. As the bus rode down the street, Sicheng watched people pass by on foot, or on a donkey, or just stand on the sidewalk and have a friendly chat. He then looked up into the sky as the planes passed overhead, still flying the Royal Crest. He sighed and then began to watch more people as they passed over on a bridge, where multitudes of people were walking and talking as tanks passed underneath. As he watched, many people were cheering and waving flags as military soldiers marched in sync for a parade, while other soldiers rode on horses were carrying different military flags and Royal flags. Once the bus had reached his destination, Sicheng hopped off and began walking away from the crowd. He was never fond of parades. He then passed underneath an archway into an alley, where he saw a soldier standing next to a barricade of packs and rifles. Sicheng looked over at the soldier and nodded before he quickly walked on, trying to remain as calm as possible. He then walked down the stairs out of the alleyway into another one, one that opened to where the parade was being held. He looked at the multitude of people cheering before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pamphlet, looking down at the tiny writing. 

_Chittaphon’s Bakery_

He frowned and looked left and right.

“This is definitely not the place” he whispered to himself as he turned to the left, walking down the alley. He continued to look down at the pamphlet before looking up, trying to figure out where he was. As he looked back down at the pamphlet, he did not see two young soldiers standing in his way. He bumped into them and let out a little huff before he stepped back and looked up at them.

“Hey, looks like a little mouse lost its way” one of the soldiers teased. Sicheng steeled his gaze and shook his head.

“No, I’m not lost” he replied. The first soldier stepped forward, a sly smile on his face.

“This little mouse looks thirsty. We should take him for a cup of tea” he purred.

“No, thank you, my friend is waiting for me” the young witch stated firmly. The second soldier then stepped forward and gave Sicheng a once over, smiling slightly.

“He’s pretty cute for a mouse” he mused.

“How old are you anyway? You live around here?” the first soldier asked. Sicheng’s eyes widened before he gritted his teeth.

“Leave me alone” he ordered, voice trembling slightly as he squeezed his hands into fists. The first soldier turned to the second soldier and chuckled.

“Ya see? Your mustache scares everyone” he teased. The second soldier scoffed.

“So? I think he’s even cuter when he’s scared” he replied. Sicheng growled and unclenched his fists, ready to cast a spell on the soldiers, when footsteps suddenly appeared behind him and a gentle hand wrapped around his waist, making him jump a little.

“Ah, there you are sweetheart, sorry I’m late. I was looking everywhere for you” a soft Japanese accented voice greeted. Sicheng blinked, remaining perfectly still while the soldiers in front of him stood to attention.

“Hey, hey, we’re busy here” the first soldier snapped. The hand around Sicheng’s waist tightened, pulling him closer against the new man’s body.

“Really? It looked like the two of you were just leaving” the voice purred, lifting a finger. Suddenly, the men in front of them stood as straight as a rod before the man waved his hand once more, sending the two soldiers on their way with cries of protests coming out of their mouths as they left. Sicheng watched them leave with wide eyes as the stranger’s hand shifted on his waist.

“Don’t hold it against them. They’re actually not all that bad” the Japanese voice murmured. Sicheng looked over, finally putting a face to the voice. The man was tall, handsome, and muscular. His skin was light and his eyes were a bright brown, sparkling under the sunlight. His hair was long and blonde, which was a nice compliment to his light skin and bright eyes. A pink mouth, perfectly sculpted like a cupid’s bow, smiled at him. 

“Where to? I’ll be your escort this evening” the man asked. Sicheng blinked at him before he cleared his throat.

“Oh, I’m just going to the bakery” he stammered. The man leaned forward into his face, making him a slightly uncomfortable.

“Don’t get alarmed, but I’m being followed. Just act normal” he gently ordered as he took Sicheng’s wrist and began to lead him away. They continued down the alley, Sicheng trying to keep his calm while his companion had a small smile on his face. As they passed by a large brick wall, a large creature made of goo slipped out and began to follow them. As they continued down that alley, more creatures of goo slipped out of the wall, following them.

“Sorry, looks like you’re involved” the man whispered to Sicheng, who clutched tightly at his arm. Sicheng then let out a gasp when he saw more creatures made of goo appear out of the walls in front of them, making him cling to the man’s arm even tighter.

“This way” the man murmured as he pulled Sicheng down another part of the alley, the creatures of goo still following them. As they walked quickly down the alley, the creatures of goo scrambled after them, and about halfway down the alley, more creatures of goo slipped out of the walls, blocking the man and Sicheng’s path.

“Hold on!” the man exclaimed before he wrapped one arm around Sicheng’s waist and jumped into the air as the two masses of goo creatures collided into one another. The witch let out a little yelp as they ascended into the air until they were above most of the surrounding buildings. They then began to move toward the above the crowded main roads full of people, the man next to him chuckling as he took Sicheng’s hands in his.

“Isn’t this fun, little witch?” he purred. Sicheng let out a gasp before he looked over at the man with wide eyes.

“You’re insane!” he exclaimed. The man let out a laugh and shook his head.

“But it is a beautiful sight, is it not?” he asked. Sicheng said nothing, but he silently did agree with the man that the city looked lovely from their perspective with all of the bright colors that he had never noticed before and he rather liked the soft buzz that he heard from high above than when he was right in the thick of it. As they continued to walk through the air, the black-haired man looked over at Sicheng and smiled slightly.

“You are a natural” he praised. Sicheng glanced over at him and quirked a quick smile before he went back to looking down at the city, who did not even notice that they were practically walking right over their heads. Sooner than he wanted, he and the mysterious man arrived at the bakery.

“Here we are” the man declared as he landed on the upper deck, helping Sicheng onto the safer part of the deck, smiling as he did so. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Sicheng let out a little gasp and immediately released the man’s hands, ready to walk inside when the man suddenly grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

“Wait!” the mysterious man softly exclaimed. Sicheng turned around and looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes?” he replied. The blond man looked into his eyes and smiled.

“I’ll make sure to draw them off. Wait a bit before you go back outside” he instructed. Sicheng nodded, smiling slightly.

“Okay,” he agreed. The mysterious man then stood up, never letting go of his wrist, so Sicheng decided to get a good long look at him. He was dressed in a white dress shirt, long black pants, with a pink and gray checkered jacket with yellow trim over his shoulders, and a blue amulet around his neck. Once he had memorized what the man looked like, the man released his wrist and smirked.

“That’s my little witch” purred before he stepped back and descended from the balcony, coat billowing in the wind. Sicheng gasped and rushed forward, leaned as far over the railing as he could, trying to catch a glimpse of the man, but he was already out of sight. 


	2. The Witch of the Waste

Down in the bakery, a tall young man with light skin, black hair, and brown eyes named Chittaphon "Ten" Leechaiyapornkul, was working behind the counter as men swarmed before him.

“Do you have any heart shaped cookies?” one man asked. Ten smiled, turned, picked a box off the shelf, and handed it to the man.

“There you go” he replied. More men continued to swarm the counter and he continued to service them until one of his co-workers ran up to him and leaned down so that she was whispering into his ear.

“He what?!” Ten exclaimed before he quickly ran out from behind the counter and up the wooden stairs to where he found Sicheng looking out from behind the windows on the second floor. 

“Sicheng!” he exclaimed as he ran over to his friend and clutched his hands.

“Hey Ten” Sicheng greeted. Ten narrowed his eyes as he studied his friend.

“What’s going on? Someone just told me you floated down onto our balcony!” he exclaimed. Sicheng looked at Ten before he nodded.

“Yes, that is what happened” he replied. Just then a man appeared behind Sicheng and smiled.

“Ten, would you like to use my office?” he called out. Ten looked over Sicheng’s shoulder and smiled politely.

“I should really get back to work. Thank you though!” he replied, waving goodbye to the man. He then looked back at Sicheng and took him by the wrist, leading him over to the back room of the bakery where they stored all the dry goods and other ingredients for their pastries.

“Wow, he must have been a wizard then” Ten exclaimed after Sicheng had told him what had happened.

“He must have been…he barely said a word when he made those soldiers leave. All he did was flick a finger” Sicheng mused. Ten hummed.

“Why do you think he saved you? Maybe he was the Wizard Yuta and he was trying to steal your heart?” he asked. Sicheng looked at him and shook his head.

“I don’t know, but I don’t think so. Yuta only does that to beautiful people” he replied sadly. Ten gasped.

“Dong Sicheng, don’t talk like that! You are beautiful!” he exclaimed. Sicheng shook his head again and looked into Ten’s brown eyes.

“Don’t lie to me Ten, I know what I am. Everyone fawns over you because you’re so cute and handsome and then when they look at me, they sneer and mock me, calling me a freak. Because I am. A magical child born to non-magical parents” he spat. Ten shook his head.

“Don’t give me any of that bullshit Sicheng! You’re not a freak! Yes, you do have magic, but you’re not a freak” he assured as he tightened his grip on Sicheng’s hands.

“Sicheng, listen to me” he begged. Sicheng looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“What?” he asked. Ten smiled weakly.

“While I know you have magic, and I know you can take care of yourself, please…please be careful! The Witch of the Waste is back and he’s on the prowl…I don’t want something to happen to you. Do you understand me?” he asked. Sicheng nodded, just as another baker stepped into the storeroom.

“Ten, the chocolate eclairs are done” he called. Ten looked over at him and smiled.

“Okay, I’ll be right there” he called back. 

“Thanks!” the baker thanked as he walked back out of the room. Sicheng then stood to his feet, pulling his hands out of Ten’s.

“Well, it’s getting late and you need to get back to work. I just wanted to check up on you” he explained. Ten smiled and threw his arms around Sicheng’s neck.

“Thank you” he whispered into his friend’s ear before he pulled away. Sicheng smiled and patted Ten’s back before he pulled away and walked out of the bakery. As he walked out of the delivery entrance, Ten followed him and grabbed his arm.

“Sicheng, wait!” he called out. Sicheng looked over his shoulder at him and raised an eyebrow.

“Ten? What is it?” he asked. Ten smiled and held out a small box of cookies and sweets.

“I figured that you hadn’t eaten all day, so I made a little something for you” he explained. Sicheng’s eyes widened and he smiled as he took the box from Ten’s hands.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that” he reminded. Ten shrugged.

“I didn’t, but I wanted to” he replied before he frowned.

“Do you really want to spend the rest of your life in that little potion shop?” he asked. Sicheng was silent for a moment before he smiled slightly.

“I finally feel like I’m doing something important with my…gift. I don’t mind, Ten, honestly” he replied. Ten sighed and shook his head.

“I know Sicheng, but are you happy?” he asked. Sicheng huffed.

“Of course I am, Ten. I’m perfectly content” he assured. Ten opened his mouth to protest when one of the delivery boys walked out of the bakery and waved goodbye to him.

“See ya Ten” he called out. Ten turned away from Sicheng and waved goodbye back.

“Good seeing you again” he called back. He then turned back to Sicheng, who was stepping away from him.

“I better get going. Bye Ten” Sicheng bid as he turned and started to walk away. Ten frowned and furrowed his brow.

“It’s your life Sicheng! Do something for yourself for once, will you?” he called out.

“I am, Ten! Goodbye!” Sicheng called back as he continued to walk away. Ten let out a little growl before he turned on his heels and walked back inside the bakery.

~*~*~*~*~

As Sicheng took the bus home, he quietly munched on the goodies that Ten had given him, smiling slightly at all of the flavor that coated his tongue with each bite. After he had finished his meal and his stomach felt quite full, he snapped his fingers, making the box disappear. Once he got back to his potion shop, he waved his hand and unlocked the door. He then stepped inside and waved his hand once more, locking the door behind him, just to make sure that no one would break in. He then walked over to his station and waved his hand for the third time, lighting all of the candles that surrounded his station, illuminating the rather dark room. As he turned to walk over to one of his shelves to grab a book of poultice recipes, he heard the bell ding on the door, which startled him. He turned to see a tall young man with light skin, light brown hair, and brown eyes dressed in an all-black suit with black dress shoes standing in the foyer of his shop. Sicheng’s eyes widened.

“I’m sorry, but the shop’s closed now sir” he called out before he shook his head.

 _‘Could have sworn I locked it…’_ he thought to himself before he walked over to his shelf of recipes and pulled out the book that he needed. As he flipped through it, trying to find the right poultice recipe, he watched out of his peripherals as the tall man walked around his shop, eyeing his dried herbs, potions, and other things he had created.

“What a tacky little shop” the man finally declared. Sicheng looked up sharply from his book, brown eyes flashing.

“I beg your pardon?” he asked tightly. The tall man smirked as he looked over at Sicheng.

“But you…little witch…are by far the tackiest thing here” he sneered. Sicheng growled and slammed down his book before he briskly walked over to the door and opened it, motioning to the outside.

“The door is over here, sir. We’re closed” he spat. The tall man raised an eyebrow.

“Standing up to the Witch of the Waste…that’s plucky” the man, no, the Witch, replied. Sicheng’s eyes widened.

“The Witch of the Waste!” he exclaimed. Suddenly, two glob men appeared at the door, startling Sicheng into backing away from it in fear. Behind him, the tall man began to grow even taller before he ran towards Sicheng, who thankfully had enough sense to turn around and see him coming. He quickly threw up a magical barrier, blocking the tall man from casting his spell. The Witch let out a huff as he bounced off the barrier, reverting to his normal size. He then smirked at Sicheng, who cautiously let down the barrier.

“Well…I was definitely not expecting a fight this late at night, but you’ve definitely peaked my interest. Give me your best shot, little witch” he sneered. Sicheng gulped and shook his head.

“I don’t want to fight. I just want to go to bed!” he exclaimed. The Witch laughed.

“Too bad!” he exclaimed before he raised his hand and shot a fireball at Sicheng, who let out a yelp and threw up another shield, effortlessly blocking the attack.

“Well done, but you can’t defend yourself forever! Soon you’re going to have to fight back” the Witch exclaimed as he fired lightning bolts at Sicheng this time. Sicheng quickly ducked underneath the bolts and rolled away before he threw out a hand, sending a blast of wind towards the Witch. The blast was enough to knock the Witch back a few feet, much to both Sicheng’s surprise, and the Witch’s surprise.

“Oh my…so strong” the Witch teased as a fireball erupted in his palm. Sicheng saw the fireball and before the Witch could throw it, he threw out both of his hands and sent an incredibly strong blast of wind into the Witch, sending him straight out the door. Before the Witch could even react, Sicheng quickly ran towards the door and locked it, leaning against it as he panted heavily. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, startling Sicheng into looking up into the Witch’s eyes, which were burning red.

“Well done, little witch. I won’t forget you. Send my regards to Yuta” he snarled before he turned and walked away from the door, disappearing into the night. Once he was gone, Sicheng slowly backed away from the door, chest tightening as he did so.

“Holy fuck…did I…did I just fight the Witch of the Waste? Am I fucking insane? Who does that?! Who the fuck does that? Not some common witch!” he exclaimed as his body and brain went into full-blown panic attack. As he was freaking out, he slowly sank to the floor and began to breathe deeply, trying to calm himself down. He probably sat there in the middle of his shop for a good twenty minutes before he finally felt calm enough to get off the floor. He then shook his head and walked out of the main shop area towards the stairs, where he then climbed them up to his bedroom and turned in for the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	3. Sly Dog

The next morning, Sicheng woke from his slumber, feeling as if he had just woken from a strange dream.

“How strange” he murmured to himself as he got out of bed and walked over to the washing station, looking at himself in the mirror.

“No…that was most definitely a dream. There’s no way in hell that could have happened” he declared firmly before he washed his face and patted it dry. He then turned to his wardrobe, changed from his navy blue turtleneck and ripped black jeans to a flowing black top and another pair of ripped black jeans, packed a few things in a bag, then headed downstairs towards the kitchen, where he put a loaf of bread and a hunk of cheese into his bag. Once he had completely packed his bag, he walked out into the main shop area, where the remnants of his fight with the Witch last night were etched into the floor. He froze when he saw the scorch marks on his floor from the Witch’s fireball before he groaned.

“So it wasn’t a dream…it actually did happen” he whimpered before he shook his head and headed towards the door, stepping outside. He then waved his hand, locking the door and changing the sign from “Open” to “Closed”. Once that was taken care of, he walked down the street, keeping his head down since no one, save for Jaehyun, his workers, and Ten, actually bothered to look at him. He continued walking down the street until he spotted a driver on a carriage carrying large barrels of hay. He then quickly walked over to him and explained his plan, hoping that the driver would help him out. The driver nodded and motioned to the back of his cart.

“Sure, there’s room in the back if you’d like, but I have to ask, where you headed?” the driver asked. 

“Just a little ways farther than where you’re going” Sicheng replied. The driver nodded and soon Sicheng was on the back of the hay carriage, traveling out of the town into the rural area of the country. As he got off and began walking towards the Wastes, the driver shook his head.

“You’re crazy lad! There’s nothing but witches and wizards out there” he called out. Sicheng laughed.

“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind” he called back as he continued walking.

“He’s going to the Wastes by himself?” the driver’s wife asked as she came to watch Sicheng leave. The driver looked over at her and nodded.

“Says he’s looking for his younger brother” he replied, not really believing the words that came out of his mouth.

~*~*~*~*~

As Sicheng continued up the hill towards the Wastes, he began to grow a little weary, since he had been stupid and decided not to eat before he left on the adventure. When he finally stopped, he sat down and began to munch on some bread and cheese while he stared at the town below.

“Oh boy, am I out of shape” he muttered before he took another bite of bread and cheese.

“Really should have exercised more” he continued before he turned and noticed a branch sticking out of some bushes.

“That’s odd…most branches aren’t that smooth” he murmured as he pushed himself up from his sitting position before walking over to the branch. He stared at it for a moment before he waved his hand, making the branch rise out of the ground to reveal that the branch was not actually a branch, but a pole for a scarecrow. Sicheng looked at it in shock before he smiled and let out a little laugh.

“Just a scarecrow! I was afraid you were one of those blob men!” he exclaimed. He then eyed the scarecrow up and down.

“But how are you standing on your own like that?” he asked, eyes filled with wonder. When the scarecrow did not answer, of course it wouldn’t answer Sicheng, _it’s a fucking scarecrow_ , he tilted his head to the side and studied it a bit more.

“Must be some sort of magic…fascinating” he murmured before he looked up into the scarecrow’s eyes.

“Well, at least you’re not upside down now. So long!” he bid as he turned and walked away.

~*~*~*~*~

Sicheng continued up the hill towards the Waste, shivering at the wind blew harshly threw his clothes.

“It’s too cold! I’m so stupid, I should have brought a cloak or something” he grumbled as he looked back over his shoulder, able to still see the town that he had left.

“Ugh, how fucking huge is the Waste?! I can still see the town, it’s if I’ve barely moved!” he exclaimed. He then noticed that something was hopping towards him, so he squinted his eyes to try and figure out who it was. When he saw that it was the scarecrow, his eyes widened.

“Go away! Quit following me! There’s no need to thank me, you don’t owe me a thing!” he shouted over the wind. The scarecrow ignored his shouts and just continued to hop.

“I’m sure you have some kind of spell on you and I’ve had more than enough of witches and spells! So just go find some field and stand in it!” he snapped before he turned away and began walking once more. The scarecrow stared at his back for a moment before he started hopping again, rather persistent. Once Sicheng had stopped, out of breath, he appeared at Sicheng’s side and held out a rather expensive looking black cloak to him. Sicheng blinked before he reached out and grabbed it, wrapping it around himself.

“Thank you! This is just what I needed! It’s so warm too” he thanked, smiling at the scarecrow. The scarecrow hopped once, almost as if it was saying “You’re welcome”. Sicheng then hummed, thinking for a moment.

“If you don’t mind doing me one more favor, could you find me a place to stay? It’s rather cold out here” he explained. The scarecrow said nothing as it turned on its pole and hopped down the mountain, leaving Sicheng alone. Sicheng watched him leave, waving goodbye, before he turned and continued up the mountain, laughing to himself.

“Ah Sicheng, you sly dog” he praised himself as he continued to walk up the mountain, blowing warm air into his cupped hands every now and then to keep them warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	4. Moon Taeil, the Powerful Fire Demon

Sicheng continued up the mountain as the day became darker and as he walked, he noticed a loud whirring noise from above. He looked up and saw a rather large flying ship, which made his eyes widened in surprise.

“A battleship!” he exclaimed softly, just as a blast of harsh wind blew into him, making him shiver.

“Why the hell is it so cold? I’ve tried every warming spell that there is and it’s still fucking cold!” he exclaimed as he pulled his cloak tighter against himself. He continued up the mountain for a few more paces before he stopped and sat down, panting heavily.

“Being cold and out of shape are not good combinations” he grumbled as he pulled his knees against himself, shivering. As he sat there, his noise picked up the distinct sent of a burning fire.

“Someone’s got a fire going. Maybe there’s a cabin nearby!” he stated as he unwrapped his arms from around his knees and pushed himself off the ground, continuing to head up the mountain. He walked a few more feet before he came face to face with Yuta’s Moving Castle. His eyes widened in shock as the contraption walked over him while the scarecrow hopped over to him.

“Johnny, what the fuck?! That’s Yuta’s Castle! That is not what I meant when I asked for a place to stay!” he shouted. Just then, the castle stopped moving, creaking, groaning, and blowing out steam as it came to a halt. 

“Are you telling me that this is a castle? It looks more like a piece of junk” Sicheng murmured as he and the scarecrow, whom he deemed Johnny, stared up at the castle with wide eyes. Suddenly, the castle began to move once more and Johnny hopped over to the back door, motioning to it with his limp glove. 

“Is that the way in?” Sicheng asked as he quickly ran over to the door and jumped onto the steps, holding onto the railing tightly.

“This seems like a terribly dangerous way to try and enter this thing” he murmured as he turned the knob on the door, slowly pushing open the door to peek inside the rather dark castle. He then looked over his shoulder at Johnny, who was hopping behind him, and smiled.

“Thank you for everything Johnny! It was a pleasure meeting you! Take care!” he bid before he turned and entered the castle, closing the door behind him.

~*~*~*~*~

Sicheng slowly walked up the steps and looked around the dark castle before he walked over to where there was a small fire burning in a large hearth. He sat down in the wooden chair and held out his hands to the small flame, let out a sigh of content. He watched as the small flame began to shrink and before it went out, Sicheng waved his hand, telepathically tossing two logs onto the hearth. When the fire started to roar a little bit more, he looked around at his surroundings, scowling.

“What a dump. My shop has just as much stuff yet it looks so much neater than this. And this is definitely not what I picture when I think of castle” he grumbled, staring at large open spell books, scattered scrolls, cobweb covered glass bottles, and other things that most witches and wizards would keep in their dwellings. He then turned back to the fire and sighed.

“At least I feel a little bit at home here, surrounded by all of this magic” he murmured before he shut his eyes and began to doze off. As he dozed off, the fire rose, revealing eyes, and stared at him.

“Now, what is a fairly strong witch like yourself doing in a place like this?” he asked. Sicheng opened his eyes and blinked at the fire in shock.

“Did you…just talk?” he asked. The fire laughed.

“Of course I did” it replied. Sicheng shook his head.

“What are you?” he asked. 

“I am an extremely powerful fire demon named Moon Taeil” the fire replied. Sicheng blinked in shock.

“A fire demon? I’ve never met a fire demon before” he explained, eyes twinkling with wonder.

“You’re a witch and you’ve never met a fire demon before? What kind of witch are you?” Taeil asked. Sicheng huffed and crossed his arms.

“One that stays inside of a small little shop all day away from the world because they look at you as if you’re a freak” he responded coldly. Taeil winced.

“Ouch. Tough love, kid. Anyways, listen, think you can help me break this curse that I have on me?” he asked. Sicheng raised an eyebrow and uncrossed his arms, leaning forward slightly.

“If you're a demon, how do I know I can trust you? You’re not going to do anything to harm me, are you?” he asked. Taeil scoffed.

“I don't know, demons don't make promises” he replied. Sicheng then turned up his nose.

“Then go find someone else” he snapped. Taeil flailed his fiery arms.

“Come one, you should feel sorry for me. That spell keeps me stuck in this castle and Yuta treats me like I'm his slave. It burns me up. You gotta keep the water hot, the rooms warm…keep the castle moving. Come on! Uh, that's rough. You ever tried to move a castle? If you figure out how to break this thing I'm in with Yuta, then you can break my spell” he explained. Sicheng hummed before he smiled tiredly.

“Alright, sure. I’ll try” he agreed before his slowly shut and he fell asleep in front of the fire. Taeil’s eyes widened.

“Hey. Sir? Sir! Hello! Sir! Hello! Hey, hey, hey. Sir! Sir! Hey, let me get over there...” he grumbled, climbing over the logs before he got comfortable and looked at Sicheng’s sleeping form.

“Some big help you're gonna be…” he mumbled before he got comfortable on the logs and fell asleep as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	5. Zhong Chenle

The next morning, a tall young man with light skin, light brown hair, and brown eyes dressed in a white dress shirt, black jeans, and black boots ran down the stairs, stopping next to Sicheng’s sleeping body.

“Hey, who’s the guy?” the young man asked. 

“Porthaven door!” Taeil called out, drawing the man’s attention away from Sicheng as a bell rang.

“How'd he get in here? Stand by” the man called back as he quickly changed his clothes with a snap of his fingers and turned a dial on the side of the house to a blue portion and opened the door to a middle-aged man in a top hat.

“Mister mayor, good day” the young man greeted.

“Good afternoon, sir, would the Great Wizard Jenkins be at home?” the mayor asked. The young man shook his head.

“I'm afraid that my master is out at the moment. I speak for him in his absence” he replied. The mayor frowned before he handed the man a letter.

“An invitation from His Majesty, the King. The time for war is upon us. His Majesty requires that every witch and wizard aid our homeland. Wizard Jenkins must report to the palace immediately. That is all” the mayor stated before he tipped his hat goodbye and the young girl shut the door. While he was shutting the door, Sicheng was waking up, the conversation still in his ears.

“I can't believe it's come to this” he murmured as he stood up and waved his hand, throwing a few logs onto the hearth. The young man looked over at him and narrowed his eyes.

“And what do you think you're doing here?” he demanded. Sicheng smirked and motioned to the fire.

“Taeil said that I could come in” he replied. Taeil’s eyes widened and he crossed his fiery arms in front of his face.

“What?! No, I didn’t! You just wandered in from the Wastes!” he exclaimed. The young man’s eyes widened.

“He’s from the Wastes? How do you know he’s not a witch?” he questioned. Sicheng chuckled.

“Oh, but I am a witch” he stated. The young man looked at Taeil in shock.

“You let a witch in here?!” he shouted. Taeil groaned.

“Again, I did not let him in! He came in here by himself! Porthaven door again” he called out. The man’s eyes widened before he walked over to the door.

“Must be a customer. Standby” he called back as he opened the door to a little girl.

“Yes, my dear child?” the young man asked. The little girl looked up at the young man.

“My mom sent me to pick up a spell” she replied. The young man nodded.

“Ah yes, do come in” he instructed, moving out of the way so that the girl could step inside. As the young man walked deeper inside the castle, he glanced over at Sicheng and narrowed his eyes.

“Just keep quiet and don’t cause any trouble” he hissed as he began to look for the little girl’s order. While he was searching, Sicheng blinked and looked outside of the door that remained open.

“It’s not the Wastes” he whispered to himself. As he stared out the door, the little girl walked over to him and stared up at him.

“Excuse me, Mister, are you a witch too?” she asked. Sicheng turned and looked down at her, smiling as he held up his hand, sparks crackling around it.

“I am” he replied. The little girl’s eyes widened, just as the young man walked back over to her, holding a small brown bag tied with a little brown string.

“Dust your ship with this powder and the winds will favor it” he declared. The little girl looked at him and smiled, nodding.

“Thanks” she replied as she paid the young man before she turned and walked out the door.

“Farewell, child” the young man called out. Just as the door shut behind the little girl, the young man snapped his head towards Sicheng and glowered.

“Why’d you go and do that for?!” he exclaimed. Sicheng looked at him as he clenched his hand into a fist, dispelling the sparks.

“She asked an honest question and I gave her an honest answer. What was I supposed to do, lie, like you?” he demanded, motioning to the young man’s outfit.

“You’re wearing a disguise” he exclaimed. The young man huffed and puffed out his chest.

“I have to. I'm practicing my magic” he stated, just as Taeil cleared his throat.

“It’s the Kingsbury door” he called out. The young man’s eyes widened and he quickly snapped his fingers, changing his outfit again before running to the door and turned the dial to the red section before pulling open the door.

“Good day, would this be the residence of the Great Wizard Nakamoto?” a man in a suit asked. The young man nodded.

“It is” he replied. The man in the suit held out an envelope, which the young man took.

“I bear an invitation from His Majesty, the King. Please inform Mister Nakamoto that all witches and wizards are required to report for duty at the palace” the man declared. The young man nodded.

“I will inform him right away” he replied. Once the man in the suit left, Sicheng came to stand by the young man.

“This is the royal city, isn't it?” he asked. The young man huffed.

“Move it, or you'll lose your nose” he ordered as he shut the door. Sicheng then began to walk around the house, looking around. 

“And stop wandering around” the young man ordered, but Sicheng ignored him. The young man narrowed his eyes and his hair began to floof in anger at being ignored.

“Hey, leave it alone. I’m getting angry” he growled. Sicheng smiled as he looked around. 

“Oh, calm down, I’m just having a look. It reminds me so much of my shop back home that it makes me a little homesick” he replied. He then looked over at the dial next to the door and raised an eyebrow.

“Where does that black section lead?” he asked. The young man shrugged.

“Only Yuta hyung knows” he replied before his stomach growled.

“I need some breakfast, I'm starved” he declared as he walked over to a drawer and pulled out a loaf of bread and grabbed a plate with a hunk of cheese on it. Sicheng followed him and pulled out a covered platter with bacon slabs on it and frowned as he looked after the young man.

“Don't you want to have some bacon and eggs?” he asked. The young man sighed.

“Yeah, but we can't use the fire. Yuta hyung's not here” he explained as he walked over to the desk and began shoving books and papers and potions out of the way so he could put down the plate and bread. Sicheng smiled as he grabbed the basket of eggs and bacon before he walked over to the wall, pulling off a cast-iron skillet.

“Don’t worry, I can cook. And Taeil seems to like me, so we should be fine” he assured as he walked over to the fire. The young man shook his head.

“It doesn't matter if you can cook or if Taeil likes you. Taeil only obeys Yuta hyung” he snapped. From the hearth, Taeil crossed his arms.

“That’s right, I'm not taking any orders from you” he declared. Sicheng ignored his declaration as he stood before him and placed his hands on his hips.

“Alright Taeil, let’s get cooking!” he ordered, smiling at the fire demon.

“I don't cook! I'm a scary and powerful fire demon” Taeil exclaimed. Sicheng smiled darkly as he leaned down, getting close to Taeil’s “face”. 

“I fought against the Witch of the Waste, so I think I can take on a “scary and powerful fire demon”. And besides, you wouldn’t want me to snitch to Yuta about our little deal, would you?” he asked calmly. Taeil looked at him in shock before he groaned.

“Ugh! Stupid me, I NEVER should have let him in here!” he grumbled to himself. Sicheng then leaned back as he shook his head, placing the skillet on top of Taeil.

“So, what'll it be?” he asked as he continued to move the skillet over Taeil, who struggled back before he finally relented and let Sicheng place the skillet on top of him.

“There we go. Not so bad now, right?” Sicheng praised as he took a slice of bacon and placed it in the skillet. As the bacon sizzled, Taeil poked his “head” out from underneath the pan.

“Here's another curse: may all your bacon burn” he grumbled. Behind Sicheng, the young man watched with wide eyes as Sicheng continued to cook.

“Wait…sir” he called out. Sicheng looked over his shoulder at the young man and raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm?” he replied. The young man shook his head.

“You said you fought the Witch of the Waste…and won?” he demanded. Sicheng nodded his head from side to side, humming.

“Yes and no. I did fight him, but I don’t know if I won our fight. I mean, I got him out of my shop and I came out unscathed, so I suppose you could say I won, yes” he replied. The young man shook his head.

“Amazing” he murmured under his breath. Sicheng chuckled before he tilted his head to the side and smiled at the young man.

“I think I'd like some tea, too. Do you have a kettle?” he asked. The young man’s eyes widened and he nodded.

“Oh, yeah, sure” he replied as he went to go look for the thing that Sicheng requested.

“Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? Don't get the kettle. Whose side are you on anyway? C-Chenle? Chenle? What are you doing?” Taeil called out from the hearth as the young man, Zhong Chenle, began to look for the kettle. As he was looking, the dial on the door turned to black, startling him.

“Huh?” he whispered to himself. He watched the door as it opened, revealing a tall blonde man dressed in in a white dress shirt, long black pants, with a pink and gray checkered jacket with yellow trim over his shoulders, and a blue amulet around his neck. Chenle’s eyes widened.

“Yuta hyung, the King’s messengers were here. They said you have to report to the palace. As both Nakamoto and Jenkins” he stated as the man, Yuta Nakamoto, walked up the stairs and over to where Sicheng was preparing breakfast. When Sicheng stopped and looked up, his eyes widened at the sight of Yuta before he calmed himself and went back to cooking.

“Taeil, you're being so obedient” Yuta mused with a smile. Taeil popped up from underneath the pan and glared at Yuta.

“Not on purpose; he bullied me” he complained, motioning to Sicheng. Yuta let out a chuckle and shook his head.

“Not just anybody can do that. And you are…who?” he asked, turning to look at Sicheng. Before Sicheng could open his mouth, Chenle spoke in his stead.

“He’s a witch fought against the Witch of the Waste and won!” he exclaimed. Yuta raised an eyebrow at the statement, smiling slightly.

“Is that so?” he asked. Sicheng gulped before he nodded slowly.

“Yes, I suppose so” he replied. Yuta hummed.

“That is an amazing feat. Not many witches or wizards can claim that they fought against the Witch of the Waste and survived” he stated softly before he pushed Sicheng gently out of the way and took the spoon from his hand.

“Give that to me. Now, and me two more slices of that bacon and six more of those eggs” he ordered, taking the skillet off Taeil to hold in front of Sicheng. Sicheng blinked before he quickly placed two more slices of bacon inside of the skillet. Yuta then put the pan back on Taeil before holding out his hand, which Sicheng quickly placed an egg in. Yuta then cracked it against the hearth before plopping the egg inside of the pan, feeding Taeil the shells. Yuta then held his hand out again and once more, Sicheng placed an egg inside. They continued this pattern, Yuta holding out his hand and Sicheng placing an egg inside of it. As he cooked, Yuta glanced over at Sicheng.

“Now, what was your name? You never said” he stated. Sicheng blinked before he let out a weak chuckle.

“Dong Sicheng” he replied. Yuta hummed as he continued to cook.

“And what brought you to the Waste?” he asked. Sicheng paused in shock at the question before he cleared his throat.

“Um…I just needed to get away for a little while” he answered. Yuta nodded before he looked over his shoulder.

“Chenle, get the plates!” he called out as he took the skillet off the fire. As Sicheng stared after Yuta, Taeil narrowed his eyes.

“Wait a second, you're all gonna eat while I do all the work?” he exclaimed, a little pissed. From the table, Chenle looked over at Sicheng.

“Come have some breakfast, Sicheng” he called out, no malice in his voice. Sicheng nodded and slowly walked over as Yuta pushed more of his scrolls, books, and potions out of the way while Chenle cleaned the plates with a towel. As Sicheng sat down, Yuta divided up the breakfast and placed a plate in front of him. Chenle then poured him a bowl of tea before holding up two spoons and a fork, all of which were dirty.

“Which do you want? You only get one, 'cause the rest are dirty” he stated. Sicheng blinked before he took the least dirty spoon and wiped it clean with his hand.

“Oh boy…definitely going to have to do some spring cleaning in here” he muttered under his breath. Yuta then cut a slice of bread before handing it over to Chenle.

“Bread, Chenle?” he asked. Chenle nodded and took the bread.

“Thank you” he replied. Yuta then cut another slice of bread and handed it over to Sicheng.

“Sicheng” he asked. Sicheng blinked and took the slice. Yuta then placed the rest of bread down before he took his bowl of tea and raised it in a toast.

“So, friends, enjoy. Bon appé” he declared before he took a sip. Chenle raised his bowl as well and smiled.

“Bon appé” he agreed before he began to heartily dig into the meal.

“I can't remember the last time we had a real breakfast” he stated, his mouth full. Sicheng made a face of disgust.

“Even the manners are a mess in this house…” he grumbled to himself. Just as he was about to take a bite of egg, Yuta looked up from his plate, smiling softly.

“So, what do you have hidden in your pocket, Winko?” he asked. Sicheng froze, surprised by the nickname, before he put down his spoon and reached into his pocket, pulling out a strange red card. He frowned.

“Huh? What is this? When did this get here?” he whispered to himself. 

“Give it to me” Yuta ordered. Sicheng looked up at him before he handed over the card. Just as the card touched Yuta’s fingers, it burst into flame and floated down onto the table, scorching the table. Chenle’s eyes widened and he gasped.

“Scorch marks. Yuta, can you read them?” he demanded. Before Yuta could answer, Sicheng leaned forward, narrowing his eyes.

_“You who swallowed a falling star, oh heartless man, your heart shall soon belong to me”_ he read aloud. He then looked up to see Chenle and Yuta staring at him with something close to awe, so he quickly ducked his head, avoiding eye contact with both of them.

“Is this from the Witch of the Waste?” Chenle asked, looking over at Yuta. Yuta said nothing as he continued to stare at the scorch marks, his hair beginning to rise.

“This is ancient sorcery. And quite powerful, too” he declared before he looked up at Sicheng with a slight smirk on his face.

“I didn’t know you could read scorch marks, Winko” he murmured. Sicheng blushed but still kept his eyes lowered.

“Ah…I taught myself how to read them, since some of my potion recipes were written in this language” he explained. Yuta hummed before he tsked as he stared at the table.

“That can’t be good for the table” he murmured as he placed his hand on the marks and wiped them away until there was nothing left. 

“Wow, it’s gone” Chenle breathed. Yuta hummed.

“The mark may be gone, but the spell is still there” he replied before he quickly stood to his feet.

“Excuse me, my friends, please continue your meal” he instructed as he grabbed his plate and walked over to Taeil, tossing his breakfast into the fire.

“Taeil, move the castle 60 miles to the west” he ordered as he walked away, up the stairs to the upper part of the castle.

“And while you're at it, make hot water for my bath” he added. 

“Fine, like moving the castle wasn't hard enough” Taeil groaned. Once Yuta disappeared, Chenle looked over at Sicheng and narrowed his eyes.

“You're not working for the Witch of the Waste, are you, Sicheng?” he snarled. Sicheng looked at Chenle in shock.

“I told you, I fought the bastard! No, I am not working for him” he exclaimed as he stood to his feet, energy crackling around him as anger surged through his body.

“If I ever get my hands on him, I’m going to kill him!” he shouted, startling Chenle with the anger that he possessed. He then snuffed out the sparks encasing his fists before he sat down and began shoveling food into his mouth. As he was eating, he looked up at Chenle and narrowed his eyes.

“Finish your breakfast” he ordered. Chenle stared at Sicheng in shock before he began to eat once more.

 _‘Sicheng’s scary’_ he thought to himself. As they were eating, Chenle looked up at Sicheng and tilted his head.

“Sicheng…if Yuta gets to call you Winko…can I give you a nickname?” he asked. Sicheng looked up at him and blinked before he nodded.

“Sure, if you want to” he replied. Chenle was quiet before he smiled.

“What about Winwin-ge?” he asked. Sicheng smiled slightly.

“It’s cute. Sure, you can call me Winwin-ge” he agreed. Chenle smiled brightly before he went back to eating his breakfast. Sicheng smiled and let out a little chuckle before he too went back to eating his breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	6. Witch on a Rampage

After they had eaten breakfast, Sicheng waved his hand, summoning a rag that he tied around his nose and mouth like a mask and covered everything important before he waved his hand, possessing brooms, mops, and other cleaning tools to do his bidding. He then waved his hand again and sent a broom to brush the ceiling, clearing it of years and years of dust and bugs.

“I've had enough of this. You bugs better run before I bite your heads off” he grumbled as he continued to cast cleaning spells that vigorously scrubbed away grim and brushed and swept mounds and piles of trash collected over the years.

“This is disgusting. If I’m going to stay here, I refuse to live in a dump” he growled as he cast another cleaning spell before grabbing a broom himself and started to clean manually. Meanwhile, while he was cleaning, Chenle, in disguise, continued to run in and out of their shop, placing books on a table to make sure that they did not get swept up in Sicheng’s mad cleaning.

“Hello sir, is my potion ready?” an old man asked, walking up to Chenle. Chenle looked over at him and scoffed.

“Come back later. There's a witch on the rampage in there” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~

Back inside the shop, Sicheng threw some water on the floor before he casted a spell that possessed a mop to scrub the floor hard until the wood began to shine. Once the wood shone to his liking, Sicheng moved on to another part of the house.

“Sicheng, please. Sicheng, please help me, I'm going out. Please, get me some firewood quick. Quick, come on” Taeil called out from the hearth. Sicheng looked over at him and nodded as he grabbed a big blanket and placed it at the foot of the hearth. He then waved his hand, levitating the small piece of wood that Taeil was connected to.

“Hey, please help me. Hey, wh-what are you doing? No, don't, don't, I'll fall! Sicheng, I don’t feel safe!” Taeil exclaimed as Sicheng continued to levitate his piece of firewood.

“You’ll be fine” Sicheng assured as he snapped his fingers, summoning a metal hoe.

“Sicheng, I’ll fall!” Taeil exclaimed. Sicheng ignored him as he pointed to the hearth, silently ordering the hoe to sweep out the ashes. While the hoe cleaned out the ashes, Sicheng looked at Taeil and smiled slightly.

“Don’t worry Taeil, I won’t let you fall” he promised as he waved his hand, tying the ends of the blanket together, making sure that the ash wouldn’t fall out. Once the blanket was tied, Sicheng moved a finger and sent the bag flying out the door. Just before he could move to place new logs in the hearth, Yuta appeared out of nowhere and took Taeil from his hand.

“Yuta!” he exclaimed, startled. Yuta said nothing as he threw two logs onto the hearth and placed Taeil onto them. Once Taeil was comfortable, Yuta looked over at Sicheng and smiled slightly.

“I'd appreciate it if you didn't torment my friend” he stated. Sicheng opened his mouth to protest when Yuta walked past him and Chenle, heading down the stairs.

“Yuta hyung, are you going out now?” Chenle asked as he stood next to Sicheng and watched as Yuta closed the door and turned the dial to the black section.

“Chenle, make sure Winko doesn't get carried away while I'm gone” he ordered before he opened the door and stepped out, the dial changing from black back to blue. Once he was gone, Chenle turned and frowned at Sicheng.

“What did you do now, Winwin-ge?” he demanded. Sicheng threw up his hands.

“I didn’t do anything! I was just cleaning! I was going to put new logs on the hearth just as he showed up!” he exclaimed. Taeil crossed his fiery arms.

“It’s a good thing too. If I die, Yuta dies too, I hope you know” he stated. Sicheng turned and glared at him, making the fire shrink in fear.

“Be quiet. You’ve already caused me enough problems” he snapped before he walked over to the stairs, cleaning supplies following behind him. Before he could even walk up them, Chenle appeared in front of him, holding his arms out.

“Wait, you can't come up here!” he exclaimed. Sicheng raised an eyebrow.

“And why not?” he asked, placing his hands on his hips. Chenle blushed.

“My room is a mess” he admitted. Sicheng smiled.

“Whatever you don't want me to clean, better hide it now” he teased. Chenle’s eyes widened and he dashed up the stairs.

“Save my room for last, okay?” he begged before he ran into his room. Sicheng chuckled and shook his head as he took his hands off his hips.

“Cute” he murmured before he walked up the stairs. Once he reached the second floor, he looked around at all the spider webs and dust, grimacing in disgust. 

“Gross” he murmured as he snapped his fingers, sending some of his cleaning supplies to start cleaning. He then turned to his left and opened a room, which he deemed to be Yuta’s bathroom. As he looked around, he felt the urge to gag, but he pressed on, walking into the bathroom and over to the window, which he pushed open. As he looked outside, his eyes widened in awe and he looked at the moving contraption that Yuta called a “castle”. 

“Amazing” he exclaimed as he snapped his fingers, sending the other cleaning supplies to clean as much as they could before he decided to go back and tidy up himself. He then pulled his head back inside, a wide grin on his face.

“Taeil, Taeil! Are you the one moving the castle?” he called out.

“Of course I am, no one else does any work around here” Taeil called back from the hearth. Sicheng ran out of the bathroom and over to the landing so that he could look down at the fire demon.

“This is amazing Taeil! You’re incredible!” he complimented before he ran back to clean some more. Taeil blushed before he grinned almost madly.

“He called me incredible!” he exclaimed, adding more firepower to make the castle move even faster. As he made the castle move faster, Sicheng climbed more stairs, startling Chenle, who was still cleaning his room.

“Wait, not ready!” he exclaimed, slamming the door to make sure that Sicheng did not come inside. Sicheng ignored his room and looked around before a green door caught his eye. He walked over to it and pulled it open, gasping at the sight before him. He stepped out onto the small deck that was there and looked out at the beautiful view of the lakes and snow-covered mountains.

“It's beautiful” he mused aloud as Chenle stepped out to join him. Chenle smirked and nodded.

“Yeah, it's called Star Lake” he replied before he noticed a long pole sticking out of a part in the castle.

“Hey, what's that stick doing in there?” he asked. Sicheng walked over to where Chenle was standing and tsked. 

“Oh dear…give me a hand, Chenle” he instructed, grabbing at the base of the pole. The two men pulled and slid until they pulled out the scarecrow that Sicheng had deemed “Johnny”. 

“It’s a scarecrow” Chenle murmured. Sicheng nodded.

“Yep, I've been calling him Johnny. Somehow, he always manages to get stuck upside down. He keeps following me everywhere. Seems to have taken a liking to me” he replied with a giggle as Johnny leapt up from the deck and onto the castle. Chenle frowned and glanced over at Sicheng.

“You’re a very strange witch, Winwin-ge” he mused. Sicheng chuckled and looked back at him.

“Why thank you. That’s a much nicer comment than the ones I’ve usually gotten” he explained. Chenle raised an eyebrow.

“Why, what kind of comments did you use to get?” he asked. Sicheng’s face shuttered and the smile he wore quickly disappeared.

“ _‘You’re a freak, Sicheng!’_ , ‘ _Stay away from us Sicheng!’_ , ‘ _Begone demon!_ ’, etc.” he explained. Chenle frowned.

“Those are horrible! You should have made them pay for what they said to you” he exclaimed. Sicheng looked at him and shook his head.

“Ah, but you see, I’m not that kind of witch” he explained. Chenle frowned again.

“What kind of witch are you then?” he asked. Sicheng cackled.

“I'm the worst kind of witch ever; the kind that cleans” he teased. 

~*~*~*~*~

Soon, the castle came to a halt by the lake, indicating that Taeil was tired and needed a rest. Once they had stopped, Chenle and Sicheng worked together to carry out a basketful of laundry, which they brought out to dry. Sicheng quickly tied a rope to Johnny’s arm and motioned for him to hop out far enough so that the sun could reach every single article of clothing and dry it evenly.

“Quit pulling so hard, Johnny” Chenle growled as Sicheng strung up another piece of clothing. After the clothes were hung, Sicheng and Chenle carried out a small table and set it down by the lakeside. Sicheng then brought out a basket full of goodies and made a quick lunch. Once they had both sat down, Chenle glanced up at Johnny and smirked.

“I think he likes doing the laundry” he mused. Sicheng followed his gaze and smiled as well.

“Looks like he'll have it dry in no time” he agreed. 

“I bet he's some kind of demon. Taeil doesn't seem to mind him at all” Chenle mused as he took a bite of his lunch. Sicheng smiled slightly as he turned away and looked out at the lake.

“You're right, he probably is a demon. But he led me here, so maybe he's the good kind” he murmured. The two then sat in silence until mid-evening, when Chenle folded and put away all the clothes as Sicheng sat at the lakeside, staring out at the blue water. Once they had put it away, Chenle walked over to Sicheng and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“We got all the laundry put away, Winwin-ge” he stated. Sicheng smiled up at Chenle.

“Oh, thank you, Chenle” he replied before he looked back out at the lake and sighed.

“I’ve never seen water so clear and blue…it’s just so…peaceful that I want to stay and stare at it forever” he murmured before he stood to his feet, Chenle taking the chair from underneath him. The two then walked back towards the castle as sun began to set.

~*~*~*~*~

That evening, Yuta, in his monster form, flew over a burning town destroyed by massive bombs. As he flew over them, he looked up to see warships dropping multitude of bombs over innocent cities, as another army of warships flew towards the warships dropping bombs, the two armies colliding into one another, creating more explosions and destruction. Yuta flew through the falling, fiery debris as one warship spat out winged monsters, which quickly flew after him. Yuta smirked as he looked at them before quickly turning on a dime, flying right through them, destroying them. A few survived and flew after him, but Yuta was too cunning and flew up towards an opening in the sky, revealing clear blueness. The monsters tried to follow him through, but the opening closed, trapping them within the warzone.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the town, all was quiet in the little shop that they had set up. Inside, everything was silent when the dial turned from blue to black and Yuta, in his monster form, stepped inside and collapsed on a chair, heaving deeply. As he leaned back in the chair and kicked his feet up on the hearth, Taeil hissed.

“You okay? I mean, you smell terrible” he murmured. Yuta remained quiet before he groaned quietly, drawing his black feathers back into his body before he transformed himself into a human once more. Taeil shook his fiery head.

“You shouldn't keep flying around like that. Soon you won't be able to turn back into a human” he advised before he reached out and pulled a log into himself, smiling happily.

“Isn't this great? Sicheng put these here for me” he explained. Yuta groaned and sat up from leaning back, unbuttoning his jacket from around him. He then ran his fingers through his blonde hair before he sighed deeply.

“This war is terrible. They've bombed from the southern coast to the northern border. It’s only flames now” he murmured.

“I can’t stand the fire in gunpowder. Those dopy guys have absolutely no manners” Taeil grumbled. Yuta huffed mirthlessly.

“My own kind attacked me today” he stated. Taeil’s eyes widened.

“Who? The Witch of the Waste?” he exclaimed softly. Yuta shook his head.

“No, some hack wizards who turned themselves into monsters for the king” he replied. Taeil tsked.

“Those wizards are going to regret doing that. They'll never change back into humans” he murmured.

“After the war, they won't recall they ever WERE human” Yuta mumbled. 

“Hey, aren't you supposed to report to the king too?” Taeil asked, raising an eyebrow. Yuta ignored his question and stood to his feet.

“I’m tired. Make some hot water for my bath” he ordered as he walked away from the hearth.

“What? Not again” Taeil whined. While Taeil was grumbling to himself, Yuta walked over to a small closed off section behind a curtain and gently moved a curtain out of the way to look at a sleeping Sicheng, who looked very peaceful as he slept. Yuta watched him sleep for a moment before he stepped back and closed the curtain, walking away from the small space and up the stairs to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	7. Drama Queen

The next morning, up in his bathroom, Yuta turned on the tap for his bath, startling Sicheng from his slumber with the loud sound of running water. He looked up with wide eyes before he pulled back the curtain to look at Taeil, who was pulling the last log back into the hearth.

“Is Yuta back?” he asked the demon. Taeil nodded.

“Yes, he's wasting all my hot water again” he grumbled. After Sicheng had gotten ready and had placed more logs on Taeil’s hearth, he grabbed Chenle and ordered him to come with him to the morning market.

“I don't know why we're doing this. Yuta hyung hardly eats anything” Chenle grumbled as they walked out the door. Sicheng huffed.

“Tough shit” he replied.

“Good morning” an old man greeted. Chenle and Sicheng nodded their head in greeting.

“Good morning” they replied before they headed towards the market. As they were walking towards it, Sicheng smiled.

“Don't you love early morning markets? And just look at the water. I've never seen the ocean before. It's beautiful” he cooed. 

“It always looks like that” Chenle replied as they continued walking.

~*~*~*~*~

Down at the market, Sicheng and Chenle were shopping at a fresh fruit and vegetable stand.

“I hate potatoes” Chenle grumbled as Sicheng placed about five into his basket. Sicheng huffed as he nudged him.

“Pay up” he ordered before he grabbed his basket and smiled at the vendor.

“Thanks, have a nice day” he called out as Chenle payed the man.

“Thank you, come again” the vendor called as Chenle walked away to join Sicheng at a fish stand.

“All our fish were caught fresh this morning” the vendor declared.

“I hate fish” Chenle grumbled again, taking the basket from Sicheng. Sicheng ignored his grumble and continued looking through the fishes as young men ran behind them, yelling to one another.

“One of our ships is in the harbor!” one man exclaimed.

“It looks like it's on fire!” another man shouted.

“Looks like there's been a serious battle” one man shouted at the fish vendor.

“What happened?” Sicheng asked, looking at the vendor.

“Sorry sir, we’re closed” the vendor replied before he ran off with the other men of the town. All the towns people gathered at the edge of the harbor, watching as a burning ship rowed into the harbor.

“It's our flagship!” one man exclaimed.

“The ship, it's sinking” another woman shrieked. Chenle’s eyes widened and he took a step forward.

“Come on Winwin-ge, let's get a better look” he urged. Sicheng shook his head, fear in his eyes.

“No, I've seen all I can take. Let's go home” he begged. He then turned and saw one of the Witch of the Waste’s henchmen watching the scene not too far away from where he and Chenle stood.

“The Witch's henchmen are here” he whispered to Chenle. Chenle’s eyes widened.

“What?!” he exclaimed.

“Quiet down! They're only a few feet away” Sicheng hissed before he looked once more, watching at the blob man walked off.

“He's gone. I don't understand why no one else seem to notice him” he murmured. Just then, a loud hiss of a plane roared overhead, making everyone look up. Suddenly, three large bombs exploded into the harbor, scaring the towns people into running for shelter.

“Look! There they are!” one man exclaimed.

“That plane! That's what dropped the bombs!” another one shouted.

“Look up there, Winwin-ge, it's the enemy's airship” Chenle exclaimed, pointing into the sky. Sicheng’s eyes widened and he quickly took off, sprinting away from the crowd.

“Winwin-ge, wait up! Winwin-ge!” Chenle shouted, trying to keep up with the witch. The two men continued to quickly back to the shop, Sicheng bursting into the shop with heavy panting. Chenle looked at the man with concern as he placed the basket of goods down and shut the door behind him.

“Winwin-ge, are you okay?” he asked, placing a hand on the man’s shoulder.

“I just need a glass of water” Sicheng panted as he slowly walked up the stairs and over to the chair in front of Taeil’s hearth, sitting down. Chenle nodded.

“I'll get it” he offered, running over to the sink, grabbing a glass and filling it. Just as Sicheng sat down, a loud scream echoed throughout the house, shaking everything. Upstairs, Yuta’s bathroom door burst open and Yuta came running out, clutching at his hair, which was bright red color.

“Sicheng, you...you sabotaged me!” he shouted on the stairs, glaring at the witch. He then ran down the stairs and got into Sicheng’s face, clutching at his hair.

“Look! Look what you've done to my hair! Look!” he shouted. Sicheng blinked in surprise.

“What a pretty color” he replied, not sure what the problem was.

“It's hideous! You completely ruined my magic potions in the bathroom” Yuta shouted, looking into Sicheng’s brown eyes. Sicheng frowned.

“Calm down Yuta, I just moved some things around, no harm done” he replied, trying to calm the wizard.

“Wrong! Wrong! I specifically ordered you not to get carried away” Yuta shouted before he slumped down into Sicheng’s abandoned chair, burying his face in his hands.

“Now I'm repulsive...I can't live like this…” he murmured. Sicheng rolled his eyes.

“Oh, come on you big baby, it’s not that bad” he replied, looking at Yuta’s hair. Just then, the hair darkened from the bright red to a deep midnight blue. Sicheng's eyes widened.

“Wow! Yuta, you should look at your hair, this shade is stunning!” he exclaimed.

“I give up...I seek no point in living, if I can't be beautiful...” Yuta mumbled before the house darkened and began to shake. Sicheng frowned and looked up in surprise as black shadows began to rise from the walls and from the floors, ominous moans echoing throughout the house.

“Yuta! Cut it out! Yuta, no, stop it! Yuta!” Taeil exclaimed as the shadows got closer to his hearth.

“He's calling the Spirits of Darkness. I saw him do this once before, when a girl dumped him” Chenle explained as he stood close by Sicheng. Sicheng’s eyes widened before he slowly walked over to Yuta.

“Now Yuta, you're all right. We'll just dye your hair back again. Okay?” he offered, placing a hand on the wizard’s shoulder, only to pull it back with a gasp as his palm became covered with green ooze. He then looked down to see Yuta completely covered and dripping with the stuff, making his eyes widened in horror and take a couple of steps back before clenching his hands into fists, tears welling in his eyes.

“You selfish son of a bitch! All you worry about is beauty! I’ve never been beautiful in my life! I’ve always been the freak!” he screamed before he turned and his heels and ran down the stairs to the door, turning the dial to the Waste before throwing it open.

**“** **I hope you die!”** he cursed before he walked out into the pouring rain. He then walked away from the door and over to the lake, standing in the rain as it soaked through his clothes, letting the feeling wash over him as he desperately tried to not cry. But it was no use, the tears were coming and there was no way of stopping them, so he just let them flow as he began to sob in the rain. As he stood there crying, Johnny hopped over, carrying an umbrella in one hand. He then stopped behind Sicheng, making sure that the man was not getting more soaked. Sicheng sniffled before he looked up at the scarecrow.

“Thank you, Johnny. How did you get to be so kind?” he asked softly, smiling up at the scarecrow. Just then, Chenle ran out of the castle and over to him, grabbing him by the arm.

“Winwin-ge, get back inside, we need your help. Yuta hyung's in trouble!” he exclaimed, yanking the witch back towards the castle.

~*~*~*~*~

“Yuta, cut it out, cut it out, I'm gonna drown, I'm drowning here. Yuta!” Taeil shouted as green ooze crept towards him. He then looked over at Sicheng and Chenle, who were running up the stairs towards the hearth.

“Sicheng! Sicheng, help him, please. Sicheng, do something!” he exclaimed as Yuta slumped over onto the hearth, still oozing green slime. Sicheng looked at the wizard before he let out a little huff and shook his head.

“Drama queen” he murmured.

“Is he dead?” Chenle asked, walking up the stairs to stand next to Sicheng. Sicheng looked over at Chenle and smiled, shaking his head.

“Thankfully my curse didn’t work, so no, he’s not dead. He’s just throwing a hissy fit” he replied as he pushed up his shirt sleeves.

“Come on, give me a hand” he ordered as he walked over to Yuta’s chair. Chenle nodded.

“Okay” he replied. The two then pushed the chair over to the stairs before Sicheng helped the wizard to stand and laced one arm over his shoulder and began to walk up the stairs, Chenle running ahead of them.

“Get the hot water running” he ordered.

“Right!” Chenle exclaimed, running towards Yuta’s bathroom. As they continued to ascend the stairs, Sicheng looked over at Yuta’s goop covered body.

“Come on, Yuta, you can still walk” he encouraged. Once they reached the bathroom, Sicheng handed Yuta over to Chenle.

“Get him cleaned up, Chenle” he ordered.

“I will” Chenle assured as Sicheng stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Once the door was closed, Sicheng looked at the mess that Yuta had made.

“Ugh…more cleaning” he groaned before he snapped his fingers, cleaning himself off before summoning a mop and bucket full of soapy water.

 _‘Time to get to work’_ he mentally grumbled as he began to mop and clean up the slime.

~*~*~*~*~

After Chenle’s bath, in an elaborately decorated room, Yuta lay silently in a large comfortable bed, almost as if he was in a meditative state. As he was resting, there were two knocks at his door.

“Yuta, I'm coming in” Sicheng called from outside before he pushed open the door carrying a teacup. He looked around the room with wonder before he walked over to the wizard’s bedside.

“I’ve brought you some tea to drink. Would you like some?” he asked. Yuta silently shook his head. Sicheng smiled softly before he placed the cup on the table next to Yuta’s bed.

“I'll leave it here for you then. Try to drink it before it gets cold” he suggested before he turned to leave.

“Winko, wait...” Yuta softly called out, just as Sicheng was about to open the door. Sicheng looked back at the wizard and removed his hand from the door before he walked back to Yuta’s bedside.

“Would you like your drink?” he asked. Yuta shook his head again. Sicheng frowned before he looked behind him and sat down on a chair next to Yuta’s bed. As he sat down, the charm above Yuta’s bed stopped spinning and instead began to chime softly. 

“The Witch of the Waste is trying to find my castle” Yuta murmured as he opened his eyes.

“I saw his henchmen at the harbor” Sicheng exclaimed softly, eyes widening slightly. 

“I'm such a big coward, all I do is hide. And all of this magic is just to keep everybody away. I can't stand how scared I am” Yuta spat softly, turning his head away from Sicheng. Sicheng looked at him for a moment before he frowned.

“Yuta, why is the Witch of the Waste trying to hunt you down?” he asked. Yuta turned his face back, not facing Sicheng, but it was a start.

“He was once quite handsome, so I decided to pursue him. Then I realized he wasn't, so as usual, I ran away” he replied. Sicheng took a deep breath, looking towards the heavens in a silent prayer of help.

“I can't run much longer though; I have to report to the palace. As both Nakamoto and Jenkins...” Yuta continued.

“How many aliases do you have?” Sicheng asked.

“As many as I need to keep my freedom” Yuta replied.

“Just refuse the King's invitation” Sicheng suggested. Yuta raised his hand and pointed to something above his head.

“See that?” he asked. Sicheng looked up to see a small piece of paper pinned to what looked like a dartboard with small daggers and scissors.

“That's the oath I took, when I entered the Royal Sorcery Academy. I must report to the palace whenever summoned” Yuta explained. Sicheng looked at the oath, smiling almost reminiscently.

“I remember that oath” he murmured. Yuta raised an eyebrow and he looked over at Sicheng in confusion.

“You took the oath?” he asked. Sicheng shrugged.

“Only for a little while. Once my father died, I left the Academy so that I could support my mother, who’s off who knows where, by running a little shop selling potions and spells, just like what Chenle does in your absence” he explained. Yuta frowned.

“Don’t you have to report as well, even though you went to the Academy for a short time?” he asked. Sicheng shook his head.

“No. Once I left, they terminated my oath. If I had left and had gone back, then my oath would have still valid, but since I never came back, they completely terminated my oath” he explained. Yuta hummed.

“But you did go to the Academy” he mused. Sicheng nodded.

“I did” he agreed. Yuta nodded slowly in understanding.

“Which would explain why you could read the scorch marks” he murmured. Sicheng chuckled.

“Yes and no. Yes, I learned about them, but no, I wasn’t taught how to read them in the Academy. I had to teach myself how to read them, because of my potion recipes” he explained before he sighed.

“I wish I could have gone back to the Academy. Then I could have become more knowledgeable about magic and maybe even become a more powerful witch. My magic is so basic compared to yours” he murmured. Yuta shook his head.

“If you could take on the Witch of the Waste and win, then your magic is not basic. You are a very powerful witch, Winko, you just haven’t figured out your potential yet” he stated. Sicheng was silent for a moment before he smiled.

“You know, I think you should see the King” he declared. Yuta turned and looked at him in shock.

“You want me to do what?!” he shouted. Sicheng shrugged.

“Just give him a piece of your mind. Yuta, you and I both know that this war is pointless and it’s hurting a lot of people in the process. Why don’t you just tell him you don’t want to be a part of it?” he asked. Yuta sighed deeply.

“You obviously don't know what these people are like” he grumbled, turning away from him. Sicheng shrugged.

“You know what, maybe I don’t. But the man is our king and he should want to hear what we have to say” he stated. Yuta was quiet for a moment before his eyes widened and he let out a gasp as he shot up into a sitting position.

“I got it! Why don't you go to the palace for me?” he exclaimed. Sicheng looked at him in shock.

“Excuse me?” he asked. Yuta nodded.

“Just say that you’re my newest apprentice and that your master is too much of a coward to show his face. Maybe then, Lord Taeyong will finally give up on me” he exclaimed. Sicheng frowned.

“Who?” he asked. Yuta smiled.

“Lord Taeyong. Have you met him?” he asked. Sicheng shook his head.

“Obviously not” he replied. Yuta smiled cheshirely.

“Oh, then you’re going to love him” he replied sarcastically. Sicheng gulped.

 _‘Something tells me that I’m not’_ he thought to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	8. To the Palace

After hearing Yuta’s plan, Sicheng quickly got dressed, standing before Yuta while Chenle and Taeil looked on in shock.

“What are you doing? Put on a glamour. Disguise yourself” Yuta scolded, eyeing Sicheng up and down. Sicheng shook his head.

“I never learned how” he replied. Yuta’s eyes widened.

“You never learned how to create a glamour for yourself?!” he exclaimed. Sicheng glared at him.

“I never found a reason to!” he snapped. Yuta shook his head.

“You should have learned how to make one while you were at the Academy” he murmured. Sicheng growled and clenched his hands into fists.

“I was only there for a short time; you seem to forget this!” he shouted. Yuta huffed and put his hands on his hips.

“But still—” he started.

**“** **YOU DON’T SEEM TO GET IT YUTA! I WAS BORN AS A MAGICAL CHILD INTO A NON-MAGICAL FAMILY! EVERYONE THOUGHT THAT I WAS A CURSE! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES PEOPLE THREW HOLY WATER ON ME, THINKING THAT I WAS A DEMON?! I WAS SHUNNED FOR MAJORITY OF MY LIFE AND ONCE MY FATHER DIED, EVERYONE THOUGHT THAT I HAD CAUSED IT! YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! I AM SEEN AS THE FREAK OF THE TOWN! HOW DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD REACT TO ME SUDDENLY SHOWING UP AS A DIFFERENT PERSON?! I JUST WANTED A NORMAL LIFE!”** Sicheng screamed, his entire body suddenly crackling with magic as tears streamed down his face. Chenle, Taeil, and Yuta looked at him in shock and even took a step back in fear. When he realized what he had done, Sicheng took a deep breath and reeled in his magic, returning to normal as he wiped the tears away with the back of his hand.

“I’m going” he croaked, swiftly turning on his heels and walking down the stairs. Taeil, Chenle, and Yuta said nothing and watched as he walked over to the door and turned the knob to the red section. Before he could step through the door, Yuta snapped his fingers and appeared beside him, gently grasping his wrist to stop him.

“Yuta—” he started.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have aggravated you like that. Forgive me” Yuta interrupted, pulling him close. Sicheng blinked in shock before he sniffled and buried his face into Yuta’s shoulder. Yuta hugged him tightly and placed a kiss on the side of his head before he pulled away and slipped a ring onto his right ring finger.

“This charm will guarantee you your safe return. Don't worry, I'll follow behind you in disguise” he explained as he wiped away more of Sicheng’s tears before opening the door and gently shoving Sicheng out.

“Now, off you go!” he exclaimed. As soon as the door shut, Sicheng sighed deeply and shook his head.

“This man…” he grumbled before he started walking. As he walked towards the King’s palace, Sicheng looked at his surroundings.

“I wonder what Yuta disguised himself as, surely not a crow” he murmured as he noticed a crow. As he walked past a statue and noticed pigeons sitting on top of it, he shook his head.

“Can't be a pigeon, he's too flamboyant for that” he mumbled. As an aircraft passed overhead with a young man escorting a beautiful, giggling young woman, Sicheng frowned.

“That could be him…” he grumbled. As he walked from the town into the royal city, Sicheng sighed deeply.

“Look how far I still have to go…” he murmured before he pressed on, trying to act as if he belonged there in the sea of beautiful men and women. As he continued to walk towards the palace, a little white fox walked up behind him and continued to follow him until Sicheng noticed it.

“Yuta? You disguised yourself as a fox?” he asked. The little fox said nothing and continued to walk next to him. Sicheng huffed.

“Seriously? A fox? Are you trying to act as my familiar?” he whispered. As he and the little fox continued to walk towards the palace, two blob men carrying a hand-held carriage walked up next to them.

“Ah, look who it is. Nice to see you again, little witch” the Witch sneered as he pulled back the curtain to reveal his face.

“The Witch of the Waste!” Sicheng exclaimed softly.

“Ji Hansol, please. Thank you for handing my scorching love note to Yuta. How's he doing, by the way?” the man asked.

“You put that damn note in my pocket?! But how?” Sicheng exclaimed. Hansol laughed. 

“I’m a powerful witch, my dear. I can do many things” he stated as he looked into Sicheng’s brown eyes.

“But back to my question, how is Yuta doing?” he asked. Sicheng let out a huff.

“He’s acting like the biggest drama queen” he grumbled. Hansol chuckled.

“How delightful. So, tell me, what business do you have here at the palace?” he asked.

“I’m Yuta’s newest apprentice. He said that every new apprentice goes to the palace, apparently. And what about yourself?” Sicheng replied. Hansol smiled haughtily.

“I received a royal invitation. That idiot, Taeyong, finally realized how much he needs my powers” he declared. Sicheng glared at him.

“If you’re so damn powerful, why did you decide to fight against a weaker witch like me?” he snapped. Hansol cackled.

“Because I thought it would be fun. And I never expected you to fight back. Most people don’t” he explained before he waved goodbye.

“Bye little witch” he cooed as he pulled the curtains back and the blob men began walking faster away from Sicheng. Sicheng gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists.

“You son of a bitch…get back here!” he shouted, taking off after him, forcing the little fox to keep up with him.

~*~*~*~*~

As the two blob men reached the gate of the palace, they continued to walk to the stairs before they began to melt until there was nothing left of them.

“What on earth is wrong with you two?” Hansol snapped, throwing open his curtain.

“Sorry sir, vehicles are prohibited beyond this point. You must continue on foot” the royal captain of the guard boomed. Hansol growled before he pushed open the door to his carriage.

“That Taeyong...using his magic to force me to climb all those godforsaken stairs” he grumbled as he stepped out. As Sicheng passed through the gates, he glanced down at the little fox.

“Come on Yuta. It’s just some stairs. This shouldn’t be so bad” he assured as he walked over to the stairs and began to climb next to Hansol, who seemed rather fine. The little fox waited at the bottom of the steps, growling softly. Sicheng was a few steps up before he heard the growling, forcing himself to turn around. He groaned and walked back down the steps, picking up the little fox in his arms before he began to climb the stairs once more.

“Yuta, what the fuck? Why are you so heavy? And why are you making me carry you? You have legs, use them!” he exclaimed. As he continued to carry the little fox up the stairs, they passed Hansol, who was beginning to look a little out of breath.

“Wait...help...I can't make it” he weakly called out. Sicheng paused to catch his breath.

“I would help you, but I’ve got my hands kind of full here!” he panted, motioning to the little fox in his arms. Hansol continued to climb the stairs, but his breathing was becoming more labored with each step.

“Can’t you just put him down and have him walk up the stairs by himself?” he panted. Sicheng groaned as he continued to climb up the stairs, shifting the fox in his arms.

“If he didn’t start climbing at the bottom of these damn stairs, he’s not gonna fucking start climbing now!” he exclaimed. As he continued to climb, Hansol paused and took a few deep breaths, shaking his head.

“I don’t understand, how is he not suffering, like I am?” he exclaimed before he began to climb once more. About halfway up the stairs, Sicheng paused and placed the little fox down.

“I have to rest a bit” he panted before he looked back over his shoulder at Hansol, who was having a much harder time climbing than he was.

“Why don't you just give up? You're killing yourself” he called out. Hansol shook his head.

“I've waited...for 50 years now, to be invited here...ever since that Taeyong banished me to live in the Wastes” he spat. Sicheng frowned.

“Well, maybe if you stopped causing so much trouble for people, they wouldn’t have to banish you” he exclaimed before he looked down at the little fox.

“Come on, Yuta” he instructed as he began to climb once more.

“You cold-hearted witch. I should have ended you back in your tacky little shop!” Hansol shouted as his breathing became more labored. Sicheng ignored him and picked up the little fox, climbing the steps until he reached the top and placed the little fox down. He then turned and looked down at Hansol.

“Almost there!” he called out, trying to be a little encouraging.

“Honored guest, please follow me” a messenger called from behind him. Sicheng looked over his shoulder at him and motioned down to Hansol.

“You should go help him get up these stairs” he instructed. The messenger shook his head.

“I'm strictly forbidden to offer such assistance” he replied. Sicheng frowned.

“Excuse me? _‘Strictly forbidden to offer such assistance?’_ That’s a bunch of bullshit” he spat before he shook his head.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this” he grumbled before he ran down the stairs to where Hansol was and took him by the arm.

“Come on, let’s go. You can’t give up now, you’re almost there” he encouraged. Hansol looked at him with wide eyes before he nodded and the two men continued up the stairs until they reached the top, panting and very much so out of breath.

“Feeling alright?” Sicheng asked. Hansol shook his head.

“Not really, no” he snapped. Sicheng hummed before they both entered the palace, Hansol using Sicheng’s arm as support, since he was much weaker than when he arrived at the palace.

“Mr. Dong and the Witch of the Waste!” a voice called out. As they walked in, Sicheng looked over at patted Hansol on the arm.

“Pull yourself together. Isn't this what you've been waiting for?” he asked. Hansol said nothing as they continued to walk down the red carpet, the little fox following at Sicheng’s side.

“Mr. Dong and the Witch of the Waste!” the voice called again. Hansol raised an eyebrow and looked down at Sicheng.

“Your name is Dong? Why does that name sound so familiar?” he asked. Sicheng gave him a look.

“Because that’s the name of my “tacky” little shop, remember?” he replied. Hansol hummed for a second before he nodded.

“Ah yes, I remember” he agreed. The two men continued walking until they entered a very decorated room and the door slammed shut behind them. As Sicheng looked around, he noticed a chair.

“Oh, Hansol look, a chair! Come on, let me help you sit down!” he offered as he walked the man to the chair and helped him sit. As Hansol made himself comfortable, the little fox padded off, drawing Sicheng’s attention.

“Yuta, get back here” he hissed before he took off after the fox, turning a corner, only to come to a dead end. As he looked around, a secret panel on the wall slid open and a tall young man with light skin, silver hair, and brown eyes appeared before him.

“This way please, sir” the young man instructed. Sicheng frowned but followed him inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	9. Lord Taeyong

While Sicheng followed the young man, back in the chair, Hansol was catching his breath when suddenly four curtains rose to reveal large lightbulbs that surrounded him. Hansol’s eyes widened but before he could move, someone flipped a switch and turned them on, blinding him with the bright light.

“AHHHHHH” he screamed as he covered his face to protect it from the light as little shadows shaped as stars appeared in a circle around him and began to dance.

~*~*~*~*~

While Hansol was having the magic sucked out of him, Sicheng followed the young man down a dark corridor before they appeared in beautiful garden full of flowers of all kinds and many fountains as well. As they entered, four men dressed in impeccable suits stood before a tall young man with light skin, bleach blond hair, and brown eyes dressed in a rich red suit and bowed.

“Thank you, Lord Taeyong” the men thanked before they exited the room, leaving only the young man and Sicheng. The young man then motioned for Sicheng to stay put before he walked over to man and stood in his tip-toes, whispering into the ear of the man. The man then signed their signature in a book before the young man took it and walked away, now leaving only Sicheng and the man. The man then noticed Sicheng and turned, smiling.

“So, you’re Yuta's apprentice, Dong Sicheng?” the man asked. Sicheng blinked in surprise.

“How did you—” he started. The man laughed.

“I know everyone in this world, Mr. Dong” he replied before he motioned to the chair in front of him.

“You must be tired; please have a seat” he offered. Sicheng glanced at him suspiciously before he nodded.

“Thank you” he replied as he walked over to the chair and sat down. Once he was comfortable, the man nodded his head in greeting.

“I am Lord Lee Taeyong, His Majesty's head sorcerer” he introduced. Sicheng nodded in reply before he noticed the little fox standing next to his chair.

“That's not your fox, is it?” he asked. Taeyong looked down at the fox and smiled.

“His name is Park Jisung. He's my errand fox and shapeshifter, I had him escort you here” he explained as the fox shapeshifted into a tall young man a month younger than Chenle light skin, dark brown hair, and brown eyes dressed in black pants, black boots, and a white dress shirt. Sicheng breathed deeply before he sighed in embarrassment.

“I take it Yuta won't be joining us?” Taeyong asked. Sicheng’s head perked up before he nodded.

“Ah, yes. He’s very busy with other appointments, so he decided to send me. He said that as a part of my apprenticeship, I need to go to meetings in his stead sometimes” he explained. Taeyong frowned and looked down.

“I see. Well, it’s good that you’re here instead” he replied with a small smile. He then clasped his hands together.

“Yuta was the last apprentice I ever took on. I've never seen such a gifted student. I was thrilled to have finally found someone talented enough to replace me” he explained. Sicheng nodded slowly.

“Then one day, his heart was stolen by a demon. He never returned to complete his apprenticeship, and from that day forward, he has been using his magic for entirely selfish reasons” Taeyong spat. Sicheng shrank back from his tone and even Jisung flinched.

“Mr. Dong” Taeyong started. Sicheng looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Yes?” he replied.

“Your master is extremely dangerous. His powers are far too great for one without a heart” Taeyong explained. Sicheng’s eyes widened.

“If he stays selfish, I'm afraid he'll end up just like the Witch of the Waste” he added before he looked over at Jisung.

“Send him in” he ordered. Jisung nodded and quickly walked out of the room before he came back, pushing Hansol on a cart, looking much older than Sicheng remembered him.

“What the hell? What did you do to him?” Sicheng exclaimed, looking at Taeyong with wide eyes.

“I just restored him to the age he actually is. All his powers are gone now. Once, he too was a magnificent sorcerer with so much promise. But then he fell prey to a demon of greed, who slowly consumed his body and soul. Our kingdom can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to these disreputable witches and wizards” Taeyong explained, looking into Sicheng’s brown eyes.

“If Yuta reports to me and vows to use his magic to serve the kingdom, I will show him how to break from his demon. If not, I'll strip him of all his powers, just like him” he threatened, motioning to Hansol. Sicheng blinked before he growled and clenched his hands into fists, quickly standing to his feet.

“Like hell you will” he shouted. Jisung and Taeyong both looked at him in shock as magic began to crackle around his clenched fists.

“Now I know why Yuta is so fucking afraid of you! And why he warned me to wary of you too! This is a fucking trap! You lure people here with an invitation from the King and then strip them of their powers!” he screamed, the jolts of magic slowly creeping up his arms.

“Yuta’s nothing like you. Sure, he’s a pain in the ass and demanding and pushes things too far when they should just be left alone, but god damn it, he’s not fucking heartless. There’s no way in fucking hell he’s coming here. He doesn’t need your help; he doesn’t need anyone’s help. He can solve his shit for himself. And if you threaten to take away his powers, then you’re going to have to take away mine first” he finished as his magic completely surrounded him, his eyes no longer brown but glowing white. Taeyong looked at him before he smirked.

“Now I understand, you're in love with Yuta” he declared. Sicheng stared back at him before he took a deep breath and reeled in his magic, returning back to normal.

“So maybe I am” he snarled, still fuming. While he and Taeyong had a staring contest, Hansol looked up at him and grabbed at his pants leg.

“Yuta...did you say Yuta's coming? I want his heart; his heart belongs to me” the eighty-year-old man whined. Sicheng looked down at Hansol and glared.

“Stop it. Yuta’s not coming” he snapped as an aircraft soared above them before landing on the grass next to the indoor garden. Taeyong smirked as he looked over at the aircraft.

“Oh, but I think he will, Mr. Dong. I know his weakness now” he purred. Jisung then walked over to the door of the glass wall and opened it, letting in the man that was on the aircraft.

“Your Majesty” Taeyong greeted as the man walked over to him. 

“As you were” the man replied before he smiled.

“So then, how are you feeling?” he asked. Taeyong dipped his head.

“I'm fine, thank you” he replied. The man nodded.

“Thought I'd drop by, rather than sit through a dull war meeting” he explained. Taeyong smiled.

“What an honor” he replied. The man then looked over his shoulder at Sicheng and Hansol.

“Who are your guests?” he asked. 

“Mr. Dong Sicheng, Yuta Nakamoto’s newest apprentice” Taeyong introduced. The man turned away from him and walked over to Sicheng, standing in front of him. Sicheng’s eyes widened and he bowed slightly.

“Your Majesty” he murmured. The man smiled slightly.

“Thanks for coming, but I've decided not to use magic to win this war. We have tried using Taeyong’s magic to shield our palace from the enemy's bombs, but the bombs fall on civilian homes instead. That's the problem with magic. Right, Taeyong?” he called out. Taeyong chuckled.

“You're so eloquent today, Your Majesty” he replied. Just then, another man, looking exactly like the man standing in the room, walked in.

“Taeyong! I've got a new battle plan! This time, we're gonna beat them to a pulp!” the man exclaimed. Sicheng looked at him, then at the man standing before him, and blinked in surprise.

 _‘What the—’_ he thought to himself.

“Sir” Taeyong replied. The man then looked at the man standing before Sicheng and laughed.

“Taeyong, that's the best double you've made of me yet. Keep up the good work!” he declared before he turned and walked towards the door.

“Get my generals assembled!” he shouted at one of his soldiers as he left the room. The man nodded. 

“Sir” he replied. Once the man had left, Taeyong looked over at the man standing before Sicheng.

“Nice to see you again, Yuta” he greeted. The man bowed.

“You're looking well, Lord Taeyong” he replied. Taeyong looked him before he tsked.

“Rather weak disguise, didn't I teach you better?” he scolded. Yuta smirked before he appeared at Sicheng’s side, clutching him close, no longer in disguise but still in the outfit.

“I’m not trying to outwit you, I kept my oath, I reported when summoned. Now “my apprentice” and I will be leaving” he stated. Taeyong shook his head as he summoned a staff.

“I'm afraid not” he replied before he tapped the ground with his staff, summoning a large ocean that quickly turned into the sky with the earth below.

“Holy—” Sicheng exclaimed, clutching at Yuta’s outfit.

“You should be used to this…we learned this in the Academy” Yuta murmured softly. Sicheng glared up at him.

“What part of “I left the Academy very early and didn’t learn all of the different things that you did” do you not understand?” he hissed. Yuta huffed before he smirked.

“Whatever you do, don’t look down” he murmured. Sicheng scoffed.

“Yeah, like hell I’m going to fucking look down” he hissed as Hansol held onto his leg for dear life. 

“It's time to show your "apprentice" what you really are, Yuta” Taeyong growled softly as stars fell from the heavens above, exploding around the three men with the sound of tinkling bells. Just then, those stars transformed into little shadow men, just like the ones that surrounded Hansol and began to dance, chanting a strange little song. As Yuta clutched at Sicheng’s arm, his hand began to bubble and soon the glove ripped to reveal a clawed hand, making Sicheng gasp. He then looked up to see that Yuta began to transform into a hideous feathered monster. As he continued to transform, Taeyong appeared out of thin air, staff glowing, and raised it above his head.

“Yuta, stop it! Stop it Yuta!” Sicheng screamed. Just as Taeyong threw his staff, Yuta shot higher into the air, clutching Sicheng close to his chest, as he broke through the enclosed garden, landing on the aircraft with Hansol still clutching at Sicheng’s pants leg. Jisung quickly ran out of the garden and over to the aircraft, hopping on the back just as Yuta turned on the engine.

“Hold on!” he exclaimed as the aircraft took off. As they flew away from the palace, Yuta looked over at Sicheng.

“Come, sit up here Winko!” he instructed. Sicheng gulped and slowly moved his way up to the front of the aircraft while Yuta looked back at Hansol and Jisung.

“Did you have to bring those two with you?” he asked. Sicheng looked over his shoulder at Hansol before looking at Jisung, who in all honestly did not look like a bad kid. He sighed.

“They’re not so bad Yuta” he replied. Yuta hummed.

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it” he murmured before motioning to the wheel.

“Take the wheel” he ordered. Sicheng looked up at him in shock.

“You want me to do what?! Yuta, I don’t know how to fly” he exclaimed.

“They’re gaining on us” Yuta stated as he looked back, forcing Sicheng and Jisung to look back as well. The three men noticed that there was a huge fleet of airships heading towards them, making Sicheng and Jisung’s eyes widened in fear.

“I can distract them while you fly this thing back to my castle in the Wastes” Yuta continued. Sicheng shook his head.

“But how? I don’t know the way!” he shouted. Yuta smiled down at him and placed his hand on his back.

“Hey, deeps breaths. Don’t worry, the ring that I gave you will guide you back home. All you have to do is summon Taeil with your heart” he explained. Sicheng blinked before he looked down at the ring.

“Taeil?” he whispered. Suddenly, the ring glowed brightly and a light beamed into the distance from the small stone in the setting.

“It’s glowing” he exclaimed softly. 

“Just keep following that light and you should be there before dark” Yuta assured. Sicheng then glared up at him.

“Why the fuck did you make me go there if you were just going to come yourself? I could have died, Yuta” he shouted. Yuta leaned down and looked into his brown eyes.

“Because knowing that you were there gave me the courage to go. There’s no way in hell I could face him by myself, he fucking terrifies me” he explained before he leaned in and nuzzled Sicheng’s hair.

“You've saved me, Winko. And you wouldn’t have died. I wouldn’t have allowed it” he whispered before he let go of the wheel. Sicheng’s eyes widened.

“Yuta! What are you doing? I don’t know how to steer!” he exclaimed. Yuta chuckled.

“Of course you do. It’s just like magic. Just feel it, Winko!” he encouraged. Sicheng took a deep breath before he sharply dove the plane to the right and flew through the town’s steeple, confusing the planes behind him. Yuta let out a laugh.

“There you go, I knew you could do it!” he praised. Sicheng glared up at him again.

“I still hate you” he grumbled. Yuta chuckled again before he leaned down, his mouth next to Sicheng’s ear.

“We've got a good lead now. I can give you 5 minutes of invisibility, so use it wisely” he whispered before he swiped his hand, creating a duplicate of Sicheng and the aircraft. Sicheng’s eyes widened as he flew away from the wizard.

“Yuta!” he cried. 

“Good luck!” Yuta bid as he and the duplicate drew the air fleet off. Sicheng sighed before he looked back at the sky above him, not sure what to do. Thankfully, Jisung sensed his hesitation and stepped forward.

“I’ll help you” he murmured as he took the wheel from Sicheng’s hand and steered them away from almost crashing through a tree.

“Thank you Jisung” Sicheng thanked. Jisung smiled slightly.

“You’re welcome” he replied

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	10. Sicheng's Dream

Back at the palace, the young man that led Sicheng into the garden struggled to pull Taeyong’s staff out of the chair that he had skewered but once he got it out, he walked back to Taeyong and handed it to him.

“Thank you Renjun. That was the most fun I've had in ages” Taeyong declared before he smirked.

“I suppose Yuta thinks he's evaded me. I bet his "apprentice" can help me find him” he purred to himself. Once he had given the order, in both towns where Yuta’s shops were located, both were broken into by the military and the navy, only to reveal that both shops were nothing more than abandoned courtyards or houses.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, back in the sky, Jisung was still flying the aircraft as Sicheng looked at his ring before he noticed lights heading towards them.

“Almost there, that's my home below us!” he exclaimed. Jisung looked down as well before he nodded and continued to fly. They all flew in silence before Sicheng cleared his throat.

“Jisung…why did you come with us?” he asked. Jisung smirked before he shrugged.

“I was tired of being Taeyong’s errand fox…and I was looking for a bit of adventure, so, what better way to find it then by helping the great Wizard Nakamoto and his “apprentice” escape Lord Taeyong?” he teased. Sicheng chuckled before he nodded.

“I suppose you have a point. But thank you, all the same” he murmured. Jisung glanced at him before he smiled slightly.

“You’re welcome” he replied. Just then, Sicheng noticed a large mass in the distance.

“The castle is coming to meet us” he exclaimed. As they flew closer, he noticed Chenle standing on the covered balcony.

“Winwin-ge! Over here!” the young man called out. As they drew closer, Jisung’s eyes widened.

“Sicheng! I don’t know how to land this thing!” he shouted before the castle opened up its mouth and swallowed them whole, making them crash into the place that used to be Sicheng’s sleeping quarters. Once the dust and debris had cleared, Chenle ran down the stairs to look into the wreck.

“Winwin-ge!” he exclaimed, searching the wreck. As he searched the wreck, his eyes fell upon Jisung, who was helping Hansol out of the rubble. When their eyes met, Chenle’s face lit up in a blush before he turned away and continued to search.

“Winwin-ge! Where are you?” he shouted. Sicheng suddenly appeared before him, covered in dirt with a smile on his face.

“Here I am!” he exclaimed. Chenle’s eyes widened before he rushed at the young man and threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly.

“I thought you had died!” he exclaimed. Sicheng blinked at the exclamation and the affection but he smiled and hugged the young man back just as fiercely.

“It’s gonna take a lot more to kill this witch than a little crash into a moving castle” he declared. Chenle pulled away from him and looked him up and down.

“Are you hurt? At all?” he demanded. Sicheng chuckled and shook his head.

“No, I’m not. But thank you for being worried” he thanked as he pulled the young man back in for another hug. As he was hugging Chenle, he looked over his shoulder at Jisung, who was staring at Chenle with wide eyes. Sicheng smiled to himself; this would be interesting.

~*~*~*~*~

That evening, as the castle moved across the Waste, Hansol was asleep on the couch that Sicheng, Chenle, and Jisung had placed over the wreck that they had created, Sicheng was asleep on a mattress on the floor, and Chenle and Jisung were curled around each other on another mattress, Chenle tucked underneath Jisung’s chin as Jisung held him close. While they were sleeping, the door creaked open, waking Taeil from his slowly burning log. The demon blinked the sleep from his eyes, and when he saw the creature before him, his eyes widened in horror.

“Yuta, what the hell?! You’ve gone too far this time, you idiot!” he hissed. Yuta, in a barely visible monster form, squelched past the sleeping members of the castle and walked up the stairs. However, no matter how quiet he tried to be, he wasn’t quiet enough, because Sicheng awoke with a start and looked towards the stairs.

“I wonder if Yuta's back home” he whispered to himself before he threw the blanket off himself and stood to his feet. He then stepped over Chenle and Jisung and walked over to the stairs, lighting a small flame in the palm of his hand. Before he even walked up the stairs, he noticed blood staining the wood and feathers strewn about, making him wince. He took a deep breath before he quietly climbed the stairs and headed over to Yuta’s room, turning the knob on the door, pushing it open. When he looked inside, his eyes widened at the sight of a deep tunnel covered in trinkets from the room. The young witch gulped as he stepped forward and closed the door behind him before slowly walking forward, walking down the tunnel until he came upon a fork in the road. As he looked between the two tunnels, a chilling wind brushed against him, making him look towards the left tunnel. He gulped again before he continued forward until he came upon a large creature covered in black feathers, breathing deeply as if it was pained.

“Yuta? Is that you?” he called out softly, holding up his palm so that the light from his flame illuminated the creature.

 **“Go away”** the creature growled. Sicheng frowned.

“Yuta, what happened? Are you hurt?” he asked, taking a step forward.

 **“Get away from me”** the creature snapped. Sicheng flinched and took a step back before he shook his head.

“You’re not going to get rid of me so easily Yuta. I will help you get rid of whatever spell you’re under, if you just tell me how to fucking help you!” he exclaimed as the creature slowly rose from its pained position to a sitting position, not revealing its face to him.

 **“You…how can a common little witch help me?”** the creature growled darkly. Sicheng shook his head, eyes shining with tears.

“But Yuta, you don’t understand…I love you” he exclaimed. 

**“You're too late”** Yuta growled before he stood to his feet and took off, blasting Sicheng with black feathers, putting out the flame in his palm.

“Yuta, wait!” he cried as the creature flew away, leaving him alone in the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	11. Moving

The next morning, up in Yuta’s bathroom, Yuta turned on the taps, startling Sicheng from his slumber. He looked around in fear before he sighed and looked over at Taeil tiredly.

“Taeil, did Yuta just get in?” he asked. Taeil rose from his log and glared at him.

“Yeah, and he looks terrible. You better figure out how to break the spell on us, quick. Yuta is running out of time; I hope you realize that” he hissed. Sicheng frowned.

“You mean he'll become a monster, is that it?” he demanded. Taeil glowered at him.

“I can't tell you the details of the curse, Sicheng, you should know that by now, c'mon” he chided. Sicheng stood up from his mattress, careful not to disturb the others, and walked over to the hearth.

“I just had a fucking dream about him in his monster form. I think I know what I’m talking about” he hissed. Taeil blinked at him in shock.

“What?” he asked. Sicheng nodded.

“It was a strange dream…I followed him up the stairs after he came in and walked into his bedroom, which was transformed into a strange tunnel-like-cave. He then walked down it and came upon him, and he seemed hurt. I promised him that I would help him break his curse if he’d fucking let me, but he just brushed me off” he explained. Taeil hummed.

“That is very strange…” he agreed. Sicheng nodded before he became thoughtful.

“Do you know what Lord Taeyong said? He said that Yuta’s heart was stolen by a demon. Sounds a little familiar, doesn’t it?” he asked, giving Taeil a look. 

“I'm so sorry, but that would be confidential information” Taeil replied sarcastically. Sicheng smirked and crossed his arms.

“What if I dump a bucket of water on you?” he asked. Taeil’s eyes widened.

“If you drown me, then Yuta will die too” he reminded. Sicheng groaned and shook his head before he walked away and got changed out of his pajamas into his normal clothes. He then walked down the stairs and out the door, walking out onto a cliff that looked over the Waste, staring at the beautiful view. He looked out over the Wastes before he looked up at Yuta’s bathroom, watching as steam rose out of the window. As he watched the steam rise out of the window, Johnny hopped over to him, making him look up.

“Hi Johnny” he greeted before he shook his head and motioned to the gaping hole that was in the side of the castle.

“This isn't gonna be easy” he murmured. 

~*~*~*~*~

Later on, when the others were up, Chenle, Jisung, and Johnny each grabbed a piece of a long rope and ran out far from the castle, pulling it tight.

“Okay! Ready!” Chenle called out. Inside the castle, Sicheng stood by the broken aircraft.

“All right!” he called back before he looked over at Taeil, who was using his energy to keep the mouth of the castle open.

“Taeil, open it wider” he ordered before he turned back to Chenle, Johnny, and Jisung.

“Here we go!” he called out as he began pushing on the aircraft and the three outside began pulling on it. When the machine wouldn’t budge, Sicheng growled.

“Move, you piece of shit!” he shouted, kicking the aircraft, accidentally jumpstarting it into flying out of the mouth and down towards where Chenle, Jisung, and Johnny were.

“AH!!” Chenle screamed as the machine came crashing towards them, making them run away from it in fear. Once the aircraft was out of the castle, Sicheng looked at the large, gaping hole and hummed to himself.

“If I just hang a little curtain here, maybe Yuta won't notice” he murmured as he waved his hand, making the dust and remaining debris disappear. He then looked outside to see Chenle, Jisung, and Johnny all playing tag, making him smile.

“Come on in, it's time to eat!” he called out.

~*~*~*~*~

At the table, Jisung helped Hansol into a seat before Sicheng placed a small bowl of porridge in front of him.

“Come on now Hansol, you need to eat” he murmured softly. Hansol nodded and began to eat as Sicheng prepare breakfast for himself, Chenle, and Jisung.

“Don't feed him, that's the Witch of the Waste” Taeil called from the fire as Sicheng placed a little more porridge into the older man’s bowl.

“Oh, hush, he’s perfect fine” Sicheng chided. Taeil glowered.

“I don’t like it…” he grumbled. Just then, Yuta ran down the stairs, dressed simply in his boots, long black pants, and white puffed-sleeve shirt with his amulet around his neck. Sicheng looked up and raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, good morning Yuta” he greeted. Yuta smiled.

“Good morning, everyone” he replied. Sicheng eyed him up and down before he hummed.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked. Yuta flashed him a particularly fond smile.

“I did, thank you” he replied as Chenle looked at him.

“Yuta hyung, Jisung can stay with us, can’t he?” he begged. Yuta looked over at the shapeshifter and smiled before he looked down at Hansol.

“The Witch of the Waste and Taeyong’s shapeshifter at my table? What possessed you to let them in my house, Taeil?” he asked with a smile as he looked over at the fire demon. 

“I didn't fucking let them in! Sicheng and that kid crashed landed the plane into my fucking face!” Taeil exclaimed, pointing to Jisung and Sicheng. Yuta grinned widely before he burst into laughter while Sicheng and Jisung glared at the fire demon. Yuta then looked at Sicheng and smiled fondly.

“I knew he’d make a great pilot” he praised before he walked over to the huge hole in the castle and stood before Johnny, placing his hands on his hips.

“Looks like we have yet another addition to the family. You've got a quite nasty spell on you too, huh? Seems everyone in this family's got problems...” he murmured. As he spoke to Johnny, the rest of the family was watching him.

“What a handsome man” Hansol mused to himself just as Yuta spun around to face them.

“So! We've got a lot of work to do. We're moving!” he declared. Sicheng’s eyes widened.

“What?” he asked. Chenle smiled.

“That's good. I'm sick of being stuck out here in the middle of nowhere” he replied. Yuta nodded.

“Taeyong’s hot on our trail, so we're gonna have to hurry” he stated before he looked back at Johnny.

“I'm afraid your spell is too strong for this move. You're gonna have to stay behind” he apologized. Johnny nodded almost in understanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	12. Secret Place

After breakfast, Chenle and Jisung went out to help Yuta as the wizard drew a large circle with a smaller circle inside with a triangle inside of the smaller circle, connecting the smaller circle to the larger one with one line from the top of the small circle and three lines underneath the small circle.

“There, all done” Yuta murmured before he looked up at the castle.

“All right, Taeil, line her up!” he called out. The castle blew out steam in reply before it walked forward and stood directly over the drawing that Yuta had created. Once the castle was over the spell, Yuta, Chenle, and Jisung walked back inside as Yuta squatted and drew a spell on the floor in chalk. Once he was done, he stood to his feet.

“There, that should do it” he declared before he looked over at the others.

“Sit tight for a second” he instructed as he walked over to Taeil. He then grabbed a shovel and gently picked the fire demon off his log.

“Be gentle with me, please…” Taeil begged as Yuta walked back into his spell, holding the shovel tightly.

“On my mark” he commanded as his magic surged within him, making his hair rise as his magic continued to grow. He then thrusted his hand out as more magic began to rise and Taeil suddenly transformed from a simple fire demon to a blazing demon of purple and blue fire. Sicheng, Hansol, Chenle, and Jisung watched in wonder as Yuta and Taeil began to transform the once small castle into one with many rooms, even repairing the hole in the wall that Sicheng and Jisung had created. Once the transformation was completely, everyone looked around the house in awe.

“Moving’s done; you can get down now” Yuta declared as he walked Taeil back over to the hearth. Chenle grinned and hopped off the table, Jisung following behind.

“This is great, Yuta hyung, it's huge” the young man exclaimed. As he and Jisung went to explore, Sicheng slid off the table and walked over to the window, looking out in amazement. His eyes widened suddenly when a train whistle blew and a stream of black smoke passed his gaze.

“But this is...” he started when Yuta appeared at his side.

“I added on a bathroom, since our family seems to keep growing” he declared before he walked off.

“Come over here, Winko!” he called out. Sicheng blinked before he turned and walked over to where Yuta was standing.

“I added another bedroom, too. Have a look” the wizard suggested as he pushed opened the door. When Sicheng saw the inside of the room, he gasped in shock and walked inside, eyes wide with wonder. The room was covered in hanging plants, crystals, and other things that Sicheng had back in his old bedroom in the old shop. He then looked back at Yuta, confusion on his face.

“Why'd you...do this?” he asked softly, confused. Yuta smiled softly at him.

“So we'd have a room that suited you. Do you like it?” he asked as he leaned against the door. Sicheng smiled and nodded, wiping away the tears that came to his eyes.

“It’s perfect” he whispered. Yuta nodded.

“I got you some new clothes, too, but you can open them later” he stated before he turned and walked away. Sicheng continued to stare out the window before he heard Yuta calling to him.

“Come on, Winko! Look at this!” he called out. Sicheng turned away from the window and walked out of the room as Chenle and Jisung ran around the courtyard while Hansol remained in the house, looking out at the courtyard.

“All right! A courtyard!” Chenle exclaimed. Yuta smiled.

“That shop's ours, too” he called out. 

“Jisung, c'mon!” Chenle exclaimed as they continued to run around and explore. While they were running around, Yuta stepped back inside and looked over his shoulder at Sicheng, who appeared at the top of the stairs.

“See that new color on the dial? There's a new portal” he explained as he turned the knob, changing the dial from yellow to red before opening the door. Sicheng gasped, which made Yuta smile.

“It's a present for you. Come see” he offered. Sicheng blinked before he slowly walked down the stairs and out into a beautiful meadow full of flowers, crystal blue waters, and blue skies. Yuta smiled as he held out his arm, which Sicheng gently took.

“You like it? It's my secret garden” he explained. Sicheng nodded as he continued to look around.

“It's incredible. Did you use your magic to make this?” he asked. Yuta smiled and nodded slightly.

“Only a little; just to help the flowers grow” he explained before he jumped over a little stream and helped Sicheng over it as well. Once they had crossed the little stream, Sicheng ran over to the edge of the lake and gasped before he turned around and smiled widely at Yuta, which was something he did very rarely.

“This place is gorgeous, Yuta! It's like a dream” he exclaimed before he turned back to look at the water. As he continued to look around at the beautiful meadow, Yuta walked over to him.

“Winko?” he called out softly. The young man looked over at the wizard and smiled softly.

“I love it…I feel so at home here…” he murmured. Yuta smiled before he held out his hand.

“Come with me” he gently ordered. Sicheng smiled back and nodded.

“Okay” he replied as he took the wizard’s hand and allowed himself to be led up a hill to look down at a cute little cottage with a waterwheel on the side of the house.

“Look there!” Yuta exclaimed. Sicheng gasped.

“Oh, how cute!” he whispered. Yuta nodded as he stood by the young man’s side.

“That was my secret hideaway. I spent a lot of time here, by myself, when I was young” he explained. Sicheng frowned as he turned to look at the wizard.

“You were alone?” he asked. Yuta looked over at the young man and smiled.

“My uncle, who was a wizard, gave me this place as my private study. And now you can come here whenever you like. You can practice your magic all the time and improve. I believe all of my books are still there” he explained as he began to walk towards the cottage, only to have Sicheng pull away. Yuta frowned and stopped, turning to look at him.

“What's the matter?” he asked. Sicheng shook his head, looking a little scared.

“It’s…I don’t know, but I know you’re hiding something from me. Are you going away? Yuta, I told you, I don’t care if you’re a monster!” he exclaimed. Yuta smiled slightly and walked towards him, standing before him.

“I'm just setting things up, so that you and the others can live a comfortable life, Winko. With all the flowers you've got in this valley, you could easily make dried flowers and potions and all kinds of spells. I know you’re very good at that” he complimented. Sicheng sniffled and shook his head.

“I don’t care about the damn flowers or the fucking shop. I care about you, Yuta. Please, just let me help you. Even though my magic is weak and I’m not as powerful as you or Lord Taeyong, I can still be of use somehow…” he murmured, turning away from the wizard. Yuta’s eyes widened.

“Winko, what are you talking about? You are powerful! You’re one of the most powerful witches I’ve ever met!” he exclaimed, trying to prove the young man wrong. Sicheng shook his head.

“Don’t lie to me, Yuta. I know what I am. I’m not powerful, I am just a pathetic witch that left the Academy and who can’t even do basic spells that every witch or wizard should know. 

You’re just doing all of this to show me pity. I know how you see me. You see me as a freak, just like everyone else” he spat. Yuta’s eyes widened and he quickly reached out and spun Sicheng around, grabbing him by his biceps. 

“Don’t you **EVER** say that. You are not pathetic, nor weak. I have never, ever looked at you as if you were a freak. EVER. Do you understand?” he growled, looking into Sicheng’s eyes. Sicheng blinked and opened his mouth to speak when he heard the heavy thumping of a propeller. Yuta frowned and looked over his shoulder, eyes narrowing.

“What’s that thing doing out here?” he demanded. Sicheng frowned and looked over Yuta’s shoulder to see a large metal contraption flying over the valley of flowers.

“A battleship?” he gasped.

“Still looking for more cities to burn...” Yuta growled.

“Is it the enemy's or one of ours?” Sicheng asked. Yuta shook his head.

“What difference does it make? Those stupid murderers...” he growled when he noticed bombs attached to the underbelly of the ship.

“Well now, we can’t just let them fly off with all those bombs” he murmured as he let go of one of Sicheng’s biceps and threw out his hand, sending his spirit into the battleship, completely wrecking it from the inside. Once the deed was done, Yuta’s arms was covered in immerging black feathers and claws began to grow where his fingernails once were. He then lowered his arm as Sicheng looked at him with wide eyes.

“What did you do?” he exclaimed. Yuta smiled and shrugged.

“Just messed with it. It won't crash though” he replied. Sicheng shook his head before he noticed Yuta’s twitching, feather-covered arm.

“Yuta! Your arm!” he exclaimed. Yuta ignored him and instead focused on the battleship.

“Shit. Here they come” he called out. Sicheng looked over his shoulder to see weird insect-looking monster shoot out of the falling battleship, heading straight for himself and Yuta.

“Those things are Taeyong's henchmen. Let's go!” Yuta exclaimed as he wrapped an arm around Sicheng’s waist and dragged him off. The two continued to run as Yuta began to transform into his monster form.

“Faster, we need to take off!” he exclaimed as he began to take to the air, holding Sicheng’s hand tightly in his. Sicheng let out a cry of fear as Yuta continued to quickly fly away from Taeyong’s monsters.

“All right, you're going in!” Yuta stated as they neared the entrance to the castle. Sicheng’s eyes widened.

“What? Yuta, what are you doing? Don’t you fucking dare!” he shouted, just as Yuta let go of his hands, sending him falling towards the door. The door then opened and let him enter, quickly shutting behind him and changing to the yellow section on the dial before opening to Chenle and Jisung, who looked at Sicheng, on the stairs, in shock.

“Winwin-ge?” Chenle asked.

“What happened?” Jisung added. Sicheng groaned as he rubbed his backside before he looked down at the two young teenagers.

“That fucker…if I ever see him again, I’m going to ring his fucking neck!” he exclaimed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	13. A Good Fire

Chenle and Jisung blinked in shock at Sicheng’s exclamation before they walked over to him and helped him to his feet. Once he was standing, he brushed himself off and cleared his throat.

“I’m going to visit my friend and try to get him to stay here…would you like to come?” he asked. Chenle and Jisung shook their heads.

“No, it’s alright. Go on, see your friend” Jisung assured. Sicheng smiled before he walked down the steps and out the door. Since it was still light out, he was sure that Ten would be at work, so he quickly walked over the bakery and waited in the line before he stood before his friend.

“Ten” he called. Ten’s eyes widened before he let out a gasp.

“Sicheng!” he exclaimed as he ran out from behind the counter to give his best friend a hug. He then looked at the girl standing next to him.

“Take over for me, I need to talk to Sicheng” he ordered before he dragged Sicheng off to the supply room. Once they were there, Ten stood before Sicheng and placed his hands on his hips.

“Where the hell have you been?!” he exclaimed. Sicheng smiled and shook his head.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you” he explained. Ten frowned and crossed his arms.

“Try me” he ordered. Sicheng smiled and shook his head again.

“Please Ten, you won’t understand. I just…just please come with me!” he begged. Ten looked over at his work before he looked back at Sicheng and giggled.

“Okay!” he squealed softly. Sicheng grinned and Ten quickly led him to the back entrance before they both slipped out, giggling and squealing like little children that were doing something naughty. Sicheng then led Ten back to the castle and opened the door.

“Chenle, Jisung, I’m home!” he called out. Jisung and Chenle appeared at the side of the stairs as Sicheng walked up them, Ten following behind. 

“Oh wow…” Ten breathed as he looked around the castle.

“It looks just like your little shop!” he exclaimed softly. Sicheng smiled and nodded.

“It is” he replied as he walked over to Taeil and placed more logs into the fire. Once that was done, he turned to face Ten and the others.

“Chenle, Jisung, this is my friend Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, but everyone calls him Ten. Ten, this is Zhong Chenle and Park Jisung” he introduced. Ten smiled and nodded in greeting to the two young mans, who politely nodded back. He then looked over at Hansol, who was reading, and gasped.

“The Witch of the Waste!” he exclaimed. Hansol looked over at him and smiled, a rather charming smile for an eighty-year-old-man. 

“Hansol, please” he called out before he went back to reading. Ten shook his head in shock before he looked back at Sicheng.

“Sicheng…what…” he started when Taeil rose from his logs and waved at him.

“Hello there” the fire demon called out. Ten’s eyes widened and he walked over to the fire, staring at it.

“That’s Taeil” Sicheng explained, smiling slightly. Ten looked down at the fire before he looked at Sicheng, eyes wide.

“Where are we?” he asked softly.

“You’re in the Great Wizard Yuta Nakamoto’s castle” Chenle explained as he went to set the table for dinner. Ten let out a loud gasp before he looked over at Sicheng.

“Yuta’s castle?” he repeated. Sicheng nodded.

“I told you that you wouldn’t believe me if I tried to explain it to you” he replied. Ten was silent for a moment before he chuckled.

“Yeah…I guess you’re right” he murmured before he looked up at the castle again.

“I can’t believe I’m in Yuta’s castle…” he whispered to himself.

“Come on Ten, come have dinner with us!” Jisung called out as he, Chenle, Hansol, and Sicheng gathered around the table. Ten blinked in surprise before he smiled and walked over the table, joining the others for dinner.

~*~*~*~*~

After dinner, once the sky had gotten dark, the five men cleaned up, feeding their leftovers to Taeil before Chenle and Jisung decided to head off to bed. Ten too decided to head off to bed and Hansol was nice enough to let the young man have his room.

“But don’t you want to rest?” he exclaimed. Hansol shook his head.

“No dear. I’m just going to sit here for a while…take my room. You’ve been on your feet all day” he insisted. Ten smiled and nodded before he quickly headed towards the witch’s room. Before they headed off to bed, Chenle looked over at Sicheng and smiled slightly.

“Don't worry about Yuta hyung, Winwin-ge. Sometimes, he likes to go away for days on end” he explained. Sicheng smiled softly and nodded.

“Thank you, I’ll be sure to keep that in mind” he thanked. Jisung and Chenle then nodded.

“Goodnight Winwin-ge” Chenle bid before he headed up the stairs towards his room. Jisung smiled and waved goodbye.

“Goodnight” he bid before he followed Chenle up the stairs. Sicheng watched them leave with a small smile on his face before it fell and he sighed.

“You're in love” Hansol called out when all was silent. Sicheng’s head snapped over to the old witch and he raised an eyebrow.

“And how do you know that?” he demanded. Hansol smirked.

“You’ve been sighing all day” he explained. Sicheng bit his bottom lip before he sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair.

“You’re right” he murmured. Hansol humphed as he leaned back in his chair, smirking.

“Of course I am” he replied. Sicheng then looked over at him.

“Have you ever been in love before?” he asked as he walked over to a chair next to the witch and sat down. Hansol nodded.

“Of course I have. I'm still in love” he replied, making Sicheng gasp. Hansol chuckled.

“Strapping young men are so difficult to deal with, but their hearts I just adore” he explained. Sicheng shook his head and chuckled softly.

“You're terrible” he murmured. Hansol snickered and shrugged.

“And they’re so cute too” he added. Just then, a siren rang out, silencing the two men.

“What's that?” Sicheng asked softly. Hansol listened for a moment before he hummed.

“It's an air raid siren” he replied. Sicheng looked over at the witch with wide eyes.

“What?” he asked. Hansol nodded as he continued to listen.

“It's a long way's off, but you better not go outside tonight, dear. I'm sure Taeyong's henchmen are looking everywhere for this place” he stated before he looked over at Taeil.

“What a good fire. He keeps this house so well hidden” he praised. Sicheng hummed in agreement and soon the two men fell into a comfortable silence, just enjoying each other’s company and the warmth of Taeil’s fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	14. Surprise Visitor

Meanwhile, farther away from the potion shop, in a war zone, the bombs continued to fall, destroying more and more of the area until there was barely anything left except for large holes in the brown colored earth. Soldiers marched on the ground below as Yuta flew above among the large army of battleships. 

~*~*~*~*~

While Yuta was off dealing with the war, back in Sicheng’s old hometown, Jisung and Chenle stepped out of the newly transformed potion shop, dressed in disguises. Just as they were about to walk down the stairs, a car quickly pulled up before the shop and a woman in an elegant dress stepped out. Chenle’s eyes widened and he noticed that Jisung had taken a step back from the woman, so he knew that she meant trouble. So, he and Jisung quickly ran back into the shop, heading towards the house as Ten and Hansol were cleaning inside while Sicheng stepped out, carrying a watering can full of flowers that he had picked from his meadow.

“Winwin-ge, there's a strange lady in here!” Chenle exclaimed as he ran over to the witch. Sicheng frowned and looked up to see the elegant woman looking around the courtyard in quiet interest. His eyes widened and he sucked in a breath, drawing the woman’s attention.

“Mother?” he called out softly. The woman’s eyes widened and she grinned brightly.

“Sicheng!” she exclaimed as she ran at her son, tackling to the ground. The commotion that they made was so loud that it drew Ten and Hansol’s attention. When Ten saw Sicheng’s mother, he gasped.

“What is she doing here?” he whispered to himself. He and Hansol continued to watch as Sicheng’s mother blubbered over Sicheng, who was looking up at her in shock.

“Oh Sicheng, it’s so good to see you! I’m sorry I haven’t seen you in years, I’ve just been so busy with work and everything” she explained before she looked into Sicheng’s eyes.

“I’m so sorry I made you leave the Academy all those years ago and make you help support me. I knew what getting into the Academy meant to you and I selfishly tore it away from you. You'll forgive me, won’t you?” she asked, tears threatening to fall. Sicheng blinked and opened his mouth to speak when the woman suddenly threw her arms around him.

“Oh Sicheng!” she cried. Sicheng smiled and clung to her, holding her tightly.

“Mother” he murmured happily. After their reunion, Sicheng led his mother up the stairs and Hansol and Ten quickly made themselves scarce, Hansol going to sit over by Taeil while Ten went into the kitchen to start baking. When they walked up the stairs, Sicheng’s mother looked around.

“Is this the little shop that you created? It’s amazing Sicheng!” she exclaimed, doing a full 360 spin. She then noticed Hansol sitting by the fire and raised an eyebrow, glancing back at Sicheng.

“Who is that?” she asked. Sicheng gulped and before he could answer, his mother turned to fully face him. 

“Oh, I forgot to tell you, I got married again!” she squealed. Sicheng’s eyes widened and he gasped. Inside the kitchen, Ten gasped too. He quickly put down his rolling pin and poked his head out of the kitchen, making sure to eavesdrop without being seen.

“He's such a nice man and he's filthy rich, too, so we can all live together again. You won't have to work as a shop owner anymore and you won’t be shunned. You’ll finally be accepted!” Sicheng’s mother explained. Sicheng flinched at the last sentence before he smiled.

“It’s alright, actually, mother. I enjoy working here and the customers are really appreciative of the potions and poultices that I make. I feel very accepted here” he explained. From the kitchen, Ten fist-pumped the air. He was proud of his Sicheng for standing up to his mother. 

“Really? Oh, I forgot. I've got a car waiting, I've got to run. Sicheng, I'm so glad I found you” his mother replied as she left her bag on the table and dragged Sicheng out the door after her. Once she had left, Ten stepped out of the kitchen and watched as Hansol stood from his chair and walked over to the table.

“Hansol? What are you doing?” he asked. Hansol held up the bag to him and opened it, just as a slimy black worm creature popped out. Ten screamed and Hansol quickly grabbed the creature, smirking.

“A peeping-bug? Can't Taeyong do better than that?” he murmured to himself before he walked over to Taeil and held the bug over the fire.

“Open wide, Taeil” he ordered, dropping the bug into the fire. Taeil ate it and as soon as it burned into nothing, the fire demon began coughing horribly as smoke began to rise and fill the room.

~*~*~*~*~

Outside, Sicheng was standing next to his mother’s car, his hands clasped in hers.

“I hope you and your new husband will be very happy” he wished. His mother smiled.

“Thank you, Sicheng. Bye” she bid as the car pulled away. Sicheng waved goodbye.

“Bye, mother” he called out. Once the car was far enough away from the shop, the smile on Sicheng’s mother’s face dropped.

“I did what I was told, now take me to my husband” she ordered. The young boy driving the car nodded.

“Yes ma'am, I'm sure Lord Taeyong will be very pleased with you” he declared. Sicheng’s mother gave him a look of disgust before she looked down at her lap and sighed deeply.

“Forgive me, Sicheng...” she whispered. 

~*~*~*~*~

After he had waved goodbye to his mother, Sicheng walked back up the steps of his flower shop and sighed as he watched people exiting the town.

“Oh, look at all of them. If they keep leaving at this rate, the town will soon be empty” he murmured.

“Do you want to leave, too, Winwin-ge?” a voice called out from behind him. He turned to see Chenle and Jisung staring at him, tears in Chenle’s eyes.

“What?” he asked, frowning. Chenle sniffled, trying to keep his composure.

“That lady said she wants you to live with her now” he explained. Sicheng scoffed and shook his head.

“As if. I haven’t seen her in years and all of a sudden, she just shows up and expects me to live with her? I don’t fucking think so” he spat. Chenle blinked and stared at him in wonder.

“So…you’re not going to leave us?” he asked slowly. Sicheng barked out a laugh and turned to look at him.

“Chenle, do I look like some kind of idiot? I would never pick her over you or Jisung or Ten or Taeil or Yuta, or even Hansol” he explained. Chenle let out a gasp of delight before he ran forward and threw his arms around the witch, hugging him tightly. Sicheng laughed as he hugged the young man back before he looked over his shoulder at Jisung, who looked a little awkward.

“Come on Jisung, join in the hug” he encouraged. Jisung’s eyes lit up a little before he slowly walked forward and threw his arms around the witch as well. Sicheng gave them both a squeeze before he released them and motioned for them to head back inside, where Hansol was heavily smoking a cigar while Ten was in the kitchen, trying not to cough from all the smoke as he tried to bake.

“I will never let Taeyong get a hold of Yuta” Hansol murmured to himself as he continued to smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	15. Tired of Running

Once they were inside, Sicheng walked over to the hearth and waved his hand, trying to get Taeil to start. When the demon would not come to life, he frowned.

“That’s odd. I can’t seem to get Taeil going” he murmured while Hansol continued to smoke, Ten baked, and Chenle and Jisung were reading the newspaper.

“But the newspaper says we won” Chenle called out.

“Only idiots believe what they read in the paper” Hansol called back as he took another drag of his cigar. After a while, Ten came out of the kitchen and placed his hands on his hips, glaring at the witch.

“Do you have to keep smoking that? It smells terrible” he grumbled. Hansol looked over at his and wagged his finger.

“Don't deny an old witch his pleasures, young man” he stated. Ten groaned as Sicheng looked over at Chenle.

“Chenle, will you crack a window, please?” he asked. The young man nodded and walked over to the window, pulling back the blinds.

“I wouldn't open that window if I were you, dear. Taeil's too weak right now to protect this place. Taeyong's henchmen could get in” Hansol called out. Just as Chenle slid up the sash, Jisung’s eyes widened and he quickly stood up from his chair, walking over to him. Far above their heads, a battleship stocked full of bombs flew above their heads and suddenly began to drop bombs, creating massive explosions throughout the town. As the bombs continued to explode, Ten ran out of the kitchen and clung to Sicheng while Hansol sat on the couch and Jisung ran over to Chenle, grabbing him around the waist and pulling him back.

“Lele!” he exclaimed as he slammed the window shut and closed the blinds. He then pulled the young man against him as Sicheng looked at the pair before pulling away from Ten.

“I'm gonna check on the shop” he declared before he ran outside, gasping at the large fire that was not too far from the shop. As he stared at the fire, he heard a low growl coming from his left, so he turned to see blob men stalking towards him, transforming from human forms into hideous blob monsters with razor sharp teeth. He gasped and began to back away from them until his back hit the shop doors.

“Oh, fuck off, why don’t you?! Leave us alone!” he shouted before he turned and pushed open the doors, slamming them shut before the monsters leapt at the door, trying to push their way in. As they pushed against the door, Sicheng quickly locked the door and ran through the shop towards the back entrance, just as the door burst open and all the blob men came swarming after him. He ran into the courtyard, almost to the door, when he stopped and looked up, letting out a gasp. A large battleship flew over the area and released multiple bombs onto the unsuspecting houses. As the bombs fell, one bomb in particular fell straight towards Sicheng, who was frozen in fear. Luckily Yuta, in his monster form high up in the sky, noticed the bomb and quickly flew around it before he grabbed ahold of the tail and held on as it continued to fall towards the ground. Sicheng saw what Yuta was doing and his eyes widened in horror.

“Yuta, no!” he screamed, just as the bombs fell to Earth and exploded, slamming him into the wall of the courtyard, causing him to hit his head rather hard on impact.

“Ah!” he cried before he threw up a weak shield to protect himself from the rubble and debris that flew at him while all around, houses crashed and burned before falling to the ground in heaps of nothing. The explosions were so huge that it created great pools of lava, some so large that it drained into the train tracks, completely covering the train with the hot molten liquid.

~*~*~*~*~

As the explosions continued to destroy houses, even the house connected to the shop, inside the house, Hansol was holding onto Ten while Jisung was clutching Chenle under his chin, shielding him from the explosion. Hansol smiled as the house continued to rumble, shake, and fall apart, due to the explosions.

“This is exciting” he murmured before he clutched Ten tighter, making sure that he wasn’t injured by falling pieces of wooden beams from the house.

~*~*~*~*~

Once the explosions stopped and everything sort of settled, Sicheng’s shield came down and he slowly began to gain consciousness, first noting that it was very dark. As he slowly began to become more and more aware of things, he realized that someone was calling his name over and over again in a panicked voice. When he weakly turned his head and blinked opened his eyes, he found himself looking up at Yuta, who had fear and concern written all over his face.

“Winko! Winko!” he cried, trying to get the witch to wake up. When Sicheng realized that Yuta was cradling him in his arms and covering him with his wings, his eyes immediately shot open and he threw his arms around Yuta’s neck, holding him tightly.

“Yuta!” he exclaimed. Yuta let out an audible deep sigh of relief as he wrapped his arms around Sicheng.

“Winko. Thank God. I thought I had lost you” he murmured. Sicheng let out a sob before he pulled away and looked into the wizard’s brown eyes.

“You fucking idiot! You could have died!” he screamed before he buried his face into Yuta’s shoulder and began to sob again. Yuta let out a little chuckle and shook his head as he held Sicheng close while at the doorway of the courtyard, Taeyong’s blob men had congealed into one large mass of black slime and legs. As they emerged from the doorway and began to crawl towards the bomb, Yuta pulled Sicheng into a bridal carry and walked over to the door as the blob monsters followed them. He then opened the door and flew inside as the monsters tried to follow, only to be sucked out by Yuta’s magic before the door was slammed shut. As Yuta placed Sicheng down, Jisung looked up from where he had buried his face in Chenle’s neck, and when he saw them, his eyes widened.

“Yuta!” he exclaimed. Chenle looked up as well and when he saw Sicheng, he quickly pulled away from Jisung and ran over to the witch.

“Winwin-ge!” he cried as he wrapped his arms around Sicheng and hugged him tightly. Ten looked up from where he had buried his face in Hansol’s side and when he saw Sicheng, he leapt up from the couch and over to where Sicheng and Chenle were standing, throwing his arms around them.

“You're okay!” he sobbed, holding the two men tightly as Yuta walked over to the hearth.

“Taeil, hang in there” he ordered as he made a claw with his hand and pulled upwards, pulling whatever Hansol had thrown into the fire out. Once whatever was causing Taeil to not work was out of his system, Yuta turned towards Hansol.

“Tell me...was that cigar a gift from Taeyong, by any chance?” he asked. 

“Yuta, he fed me something gross, I feel sick” Taeil called out from the hearth. Hansol smirked up at Yuta as he took a drag of his cigar and blew it in his face.

“Why, if it isn't Yuta. I think you and I need to have a nice, long, heart-to-heart chat” he declared. Yuta nodded and held out his hand.

“There's nothing I'd like more than that, but right now there's a war going on” he explained. Hansol smirked and placed the cigar in Yuta’s hand, which he crumbled into dust, before leaning back and crossing his arms.

“How very unlike you Yuta, not running away anymore” he mused. Yuta bowed slightly.

“Until later, then” he promised. He then walked over to where Ten, Sicheng, and Chenle were standing and cleared his throat.

“Winko” he called out softly. Sicheng looked up at him and nodded, stepping away from Ten and Chenle to stand before him.

“Yes?” he replied. Yuta smiled and placed his hands on his shoulders.

“Stay here, Taeil will protect you from the henchmen. I'll stand guard out front” he stated as he turned away and walked back towards the stairs. Sicheng’s eyes widened and he gripped Yuta’s wrist, refusing to let go.

“Yuta, wait! It’s too dangerous!” he exclaimed, making Yuta look over his shoulder at him. 

“Winko, let me go” he calmly ordered. Sicheng shook his head, tears in his eyes.

“No! I refuse. I refuse to let you die! If you’re going, then I’m going” he declared. Yuta smiled sadly as he turned around to face the man.

“I can’t let you do that, Winko. Another wave's coming and Taeil is too weak to stop the bombs” he explained. Sicheng gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists.

“Then let’s run. We don’t have to fight them! Please Yuta!” he begged. Yuta smiled sadly again as he stepped closer to the witch and cupped his face in his clawed hands.

“I’m sorry Winko, but I’ve had enough of running. I’m sick and tired of it. Besides, I have something I want to protect now” he explained. Sicheng sniffled and shook his head.

“And what’s that?” he demanded. Yuta quirked a small smile before he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Sicheng’s lips.

“You, little witch. I want to protect you and our little family” he whispered before he pulled away and before Sicheng could respond, he was out the door. Sicheng blinked before he rushed after him.

“Yuta, come back!” he shouted, stopping outside of the house, looking up to see Yuta flying away. He then looked over to see Taeyong’s blob men reforming, which made him incredibly angry.

“Go away!” he shouted as he threw out his arm, casting a spell that completely destroyed the blob. Once they were destroyed, he straightened himself up to his full height, nodded his chin sharply, then turned on his heels and headed back inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	16. Sicheng's Sacrifice

After exiting the potion shop, Yuta flew high above the burning city, heading straight towards the warships and the monsters that Madam Taeyong had ordered to help assist in the war. Down at the potion shop, Taeyong’s henchmen were swarming around the shop, trying to get in. While they were trying to get in, Sicheng stood behind the door, hand on the knob, a look of concentration on his face as he held the door close. He then turned the knob until the arrow landed on the green section of the dial, letting out a breath of relief as he opened the door and looked out on to the Waste, where Taeil had transported them. He then ran out of the castle, stumbling as he ran to the edge of where the castle had landed.

“There’s where we are at the shop” he gasped as he watched a warship drop more bombs over the city, creating more fire and explosions.

“Looks like Yuta's in trouble” he whispered to himself. Just then, the warship exploded, making Sicheng gasp in horror as he watched as Yuta transformed into an even more gruesome monster than he had when he was with Lord Taeyong.

“Yuta, look out!” he screamed as he watched the warship fall out of the sky. Just then, Chenle appeared at the door of the castle.

“What’s going on?” he exclaimed, just as Johnny appeared next to the castle.

“Johnny!” he exclaimed, looking up at the scarecrow. Sicheng then ran back to the castle, quickly running inside.

“Chenle, I need your help!” he shouted over his shoulder as he ran up the stairs. Chenle looked back at him before looking at the cliff, completely confused.

~*~*~*~*~

When Sicheng ran inside, he quickly explained his plan to Taeil as Ten wrapped a shawl around Hansol.

“Are you crazy? I can't move the portals without Yuta's help” Taeil exclaimed.

“You have to try, if we don't break away, Yuta will keep protecting the shop” Sicheng snapped, glaring at the fire. He then shook his head.

“I preferred him as a coward” he grumbled before he looked over at Ten and Hansol.

“Ready to go?” he asked. Ten nodded and looked at Hansol with a small smile on his face, placing a hand on his arm.

“Hansol, we have to go now, come on” he urged. The man nodded and got up out of his chair, walking over to the stairs, Ten following behind.

“We can't do that; it'll make us too vulnerable!” Taeil exclaimed. Sicheng looked over and glared at him again, brown eyes burning.

“We already are, Taeil! And if we don’t fucking do something, Yuta doesn’t stand a chance!” he shouted. 

“Sicheng!” Jisung’s voice rang out. Sicheng, Ten, and Hansol turned to see the teen looking at him with scared eyes as he ran half-way up the steps.

“They're about to bomb the shop!” he exclaimed. Sicheng’s eyes widened before they hardened as he looked over at Ten.

“Quick! Help him get outside, okay?” he ordered. Ten nodded and continued to help the older wizard down the stairs. While he was helping Hansol, Sicheng ran over to the hearth, grabbed a shovel, and held it out to Taeil.

“You’re coming with us, hop on” he commanded. Taeil shook his fiery head.

“I can't! It's impossible, no one but Yuta can take me out of this hearth!” he exclaimed.

Sicheng growled.

“Well, too fucking bad! We’ve got to do something!” he shouted as he threw away the shovel and picked up Taeil from the hearth with his bare hands.

“Sicheng, what are you doing?! Put me back, put me back!” Taeil exclaimed as Sicheng quickly walked over to the stairs.

“If you take me out that door, the castle will collapse!” he exclaimed. Sicheng smirked.

“Good” he replied. Chenle then poked his head inside the door.

“We’re ready” he called. Sicheng nodded.

“Okay, step back” he replied as he slowly made his way down the stairs.

“Make sure I go out last, Sicheng. I don't know what's gonna happen...but I'm sure it won't be good” Taeil grumbled. Sicheng nodded as he reached the bottom of the steps then spun around so that Taeil was the last thing to leave the castle. As soon as he left the doorway, the entire castle collapsed into itself before completely crumbling into nothing but junk.

“I told you it would collapse” Taeil exclaimed before he noticed that it was raining.

“Rain! Rain! Rain!” he cried, trying to cover his head so that he wouldn’t go out. Sicheng then looked up to see a large ship flying overhead.

“That ship's headed for town!” he exclaimed before he looked at Chenle, Jisung, and Ten.

“Look after Hansol okay?” he ordered before he looked at Johnny.

“Johnny, help me find a way back in” he ordered, running back towards the destroyed castle, the scarecrow on his heels. While he was searching, Chenle and Jisung looked over at Ten, who had a gentle yet firm grip on Hansol’s arm.

“Don’t worry Ten-ge, we’ll take good care of you and Hansol” Chenle assured. Ten chuckled.

“Thank you” he thanked.

“Ten, Chenle, Jisung, here’s a way in!” Sicheng’s voice suddenly called out. Ten, Chenle, Jisung, and Hansol quickly walked over to where Sicheng and Johnny were standing and they saw an opening to the very broken castle.

“Quickly, everyone, inside” Sicheng ordered. The four men followed his instructions and quickly walked inside, looking around in wonder.

“Wow…this place looks like shit” Chenle murmured.

“The castle’s a wreck” Ten whispered as he led Hansol over to a chair, sitting him down. Sicheng soon stepped inside the castle and placed Taeil on what used to be the hearth before he went in search of firewood.

“It's wet here, Sicheng! Too damp, too damp, damp, very damp here, hu-hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, please” Taeil called out as Sicheng walked over to the wreck that was the stairs and waved his hand, grabbing some boards before floating them over to Taeil, placing them on top of him. Chenle, Ten, and Jisung joined in his firewood quest, grabbing a few boards of their own and placing them on top of Taeil until he had a sufficient amount of wood burning underneath him. Once he was satisfied, he glared at Sicheng.

“Told you we should have stayed put; Yuta and I could've handled it” he grumbled. Sicheng rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

“Yeah, I highly doubt that Taeil” he spat before he uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on his hips.

“We have to tell Yuta we're not attached to the shop now. Move the castle and take us to Yuta” he ordered. Taeil’s eyes widened and he looked at the witch in shock.

“What?” he asked. Sicheng smirked at him.

“I know you can do it; I've never seen a fire with more spark” he complimented. Taeil shook his head.

“But there's no chim—but there's no chimney here, and I keep getting dripped on and the wood's all damp...” he whined. Sicheng huffed.

“Oh come on Taeil, stop whining” he scolded. Ten patted Hansol’s arm before he walked over to where Sicheng was standing and smiled down at Taeil.

“They say that the best blaze brightest when circumstances are at their worst” he reminded. Taeil looked over at him and shook his head.

“Yeah, but no one really believes that...come on, let's be honest...” he replied. Ten gave him puppy dog eyes while Sicheng continued to stare at him, almost as if he was staring into his non-existent soul, so he decided that he would relent and do as Sicheng asked.

“Alright, fine. But I’m gonna need something of yours, Sicheng” he declared. Sicheng frowned.

“And why is that? I thought you were a powerful fire demon named Moon Taeil” he teased. Taeil chuckled before he shook his head.

“I am powerful, but right now I am too weak, so I can’t do this by myself. How about your eyes?” he suggested. Sicheng’s eyes widened and he shook his head.

“Yeah, how about no” he answered. Ten hummed before he reached out and snatched the star charm that was on Sicheng’s belt.

“Ten!” Sicheng exclaimed as Ten held out the charm.

“Will this do?” he asked. Taeil nodded.

“That’ll do” he replied as he took the charm from the young baker and ate it, melting the glass and the flowers that were inside. While he was eating Sicheng’s charm, Sicheng turned and glared at his friend.

“Ten! What’d you go and do that for?!” he exclaimed. Ten chuckled and shook his head.

“Sicheng, you can create another charm. You’re a witch. Making charms is what you do” he reminded. Sicheng huffed and looked away.

“I guess…but that one was my favorite” he murmured. Ten rolled his eyes playfully just as the castle suddenly shook, making him and the others look at Taeil as the fire demon began to grow and shift into a much larger demon with more beautiful colors. As he grew, he shot up towards the ceiling of the castle and began to push upwards, using all of his newfound strength to create a smaller and more mobile castle. Once they were moving, Sicheng looked up from where he, Ten, Chenle, and Jisung were looking out of a hole in the floor at Taeil and smiled.

“Thanks, Taeil! You're fantastic!” he exclaimed. Taeil chuckled.

“Imagine what I could have done with your eyes or your heart” he replied. As soon as he said those words, Hansol’s eyes widened and he grinned.

“That’s it! You've got Yuta's heart! I found it!” he exclaimed as he stood up from his chair and walked over to the hearth. As they continued to head towards town, up in the sky, Yuta was valiantly fighting off Taeyong’s henchman but it seemed like a very futile fight, because more and more magicians continued to surround him and attack him.

“I can see Yuta hyung down there. Looks like he's trapped” Chenle called out. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck through the large mass of transformed magicians, making Sicheng gasp.

“Taeil, hurry!” he shouted, turning to look over his shoulder at the demon, only to see Hansol reach into the hearth and pull out Yuta’s heart.

“No! Put it back!” he screamed, running over to the man and grabbing him around the waist. Ten, Jisung, and Chenle looked up to see Sicheng fighting with Hansol, who was holding onto Yuta’s heart tightly.

“Yuta's heart, it's mine!” he exclaimed, laughing with glee as he clutched it tighter, causing the castle to shake and rattle as Taeil was no longer in control.

“Stop it Hansol! Put it back!” Sicheng shouted as he let go of Hansol’s waist and started to tug at his arm, only to get punched in the face, sending him to the floor.

“Sicheng!” Ten screamed. As Taeil continued to go out of control, the castle veered to the right, causing everyone to go flying. Chenle and Jisung held onto one another while Ten grabbed onto a nearby beam, which helped him stay stable. Hansol, on the other hand, went flying backwards into a beam while still holding onto Yuta’s heart, which started to surround him in fire.

“It's hot, hot! Oh, it’s burning me!” he exclaimed. Sicheng awoke with a groan and when he saw that Hansol was on fire, his eyes widened and he quickly pushed himself to his feet and ran over to him, grabbing Yuta’s heart with his hands.

“Let go! It’s hurting you! It’s hurting Taeil!” he exclaimed as the fire started to creep up his arms.

“No, it's mine! It's mine! It's mine!” Hansol cried. Soon the fire became too hot for even Sicheng to handle, so he took a step back and held out his hand, shooting a blast of water at Hansol, effectively putting both him and Taeil out. As soon as Taeil went out, the castle suddenly split in half and the half Sicheng was standing on plunged off the side of the mountain.

“AHHHH!!!” he screamed as he fell with the castle.

“Sicheng!” Ten screamed, holding out a hand to catch his friend, only to have Sicheng’s fingers slip through his.

“Winwin-ge!” Chenle shouted, watching in horror as the witch fell. While they were watching with horrified eyes, Jisung took one last look at Chenle before he took a deep breath and took off in a run, jumping into the air and landing on Sicheng’s falling side of the castle.

“JISUNG! WINWIN-GE! NO!” Chenle screamed as he watched the shapeshifter and witch plunged off the side of the mountain and to what he presumed to be their death.

“Sicheng ruined it. My heart's ruined” Hansol cried as he sunk to the floor, still clutching onto Yuta’s heart. When Ten heard Hansol’s cries, he spun around and glared at him, tears falling from his eyes.

“Your heart’s ruined? **YOUR HEART’S RUINED? I JUST HAD TO WATCH MY BEST FRIEND FALL TO HIS DEATH YOU COLD-HEARTED OLD WITCH!** ” he screamed before he collapsed to his knees and began to sob. Chenle quickly ran over to him and threw his arms around him, sobbing as well at the loss of not only Sicheng, but Jisung as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	17. Yuta's Past

Down at the bottom of the mountain, underneath all of the rubble and debris from the broken half of the castle, Sicheng was protecting himself and Jisung with a shield that he had created at the last minute before the castle completely crashed and fell apart. 

“Sicheng hyung…I think we’re safe” Jisung murmured from underneath the young witch’s body. Sicheng nodded and sat back on his heels, lowering the shield, allowing Jisung to sit up. Once they were sitting up, Jisung looked over at Sicheng and frowned.

“Sicheng hyung? What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing large tears forming in the witch’s eyes. Sicheng sniffled and wiped away the tears but it was too late; they were already falling.

“Jisung, what've I done? I poured water on Taeil. What if I've killed Yuta too?” he whimpered before he began to sob, burying his face in his hands. As Jisung watched Sicheng cry, he felt sorry for the young man. He would feel the same way if he had done something to accidentally hurt Chenle. While Sicheng was crying, his ring began to vibrate and glow before a small blue beam shot out of the gem, making Jisung’s eyes widened.

“Sicheng hyung! Sicheng hyung! Your ring!” he exclaimed. The witch looked up from his hands and when he saw the ring vibrating, his own eyes widened.

“It’s…moving” he murmured. A sudden thought struck him, so he looked at the ring with earnest in his eyes.

“Is Yuta still alive? Can you lead me to him?” he begged. The gem glowed once more before a weak blue beam shot out of it, pointing to a large metal plate that was leaning against the base of the mountain. Sicheng quickly pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the metal plate, flicking a finger to get the plate out of his way. When the plate was gone, the front door stood before him, completely intact, much to his and Jisung’s confusion.

“What the…the door survived?” Jisung murmured as he pushed himself to his feet as well, joining Sicheng at his side. Sicheng shook his head.

“I guess…so” he replied slowly, just as the gem on his ring glowed again and pointed the weak blue beam at the wood.

“It looks like it wants you to go inside” Jisung mused. Sicheng shook his head.

“But this doesn’t make any sense” he grumbled as he grabbed the knob and turned it, opening the door to black nothingness. 

“What the—” Jisung murmured, reaching out to touch the blackness, thinking that it was just nothing, only to have his hand swallowed in what felt like liquid shadows.

“Ew” he exclaimed, quickly pulling his hand back. Sicheng looked at him before he too placed his hand inside the inky-shadowy blackness.

“Alright…here goes nothing” he murmured before he took a deep breath and stepped through the shadows, much to Jisung’s horror.

“Hyung! What are you doing?! Come back!” Jisung shouted, but the witch either couldn’t hear him or was ignoring him.

“Ugh…” he groaned before he ran in after the young man.

~*~*~*~*~

The two men traveled through the strange inky-blackness until they came upon the inside of a small cottage. As they stepped into the cottage, Sicheng went over to the desk, where stacks of books on alchemy, magic, potions, spells, and other things that he remembered from the Academy were piled high. He then noticed a small little pen holder, which looked a lot like a prototype version of Yuta’s castle. While he was looking, Jisung walked over to the door, sensing something outside of it.

“Hey Sicheng, come over here” he called out as he opened the door and stepped out. Sicheng looked up from studying the scribbles on the sheets of paper that were left on the desk and quickly followed the teen out the door, stepping onto the patio of the cottage. As they stepped out, Sicheng looked up to see beautiful falling stars shoot through the sky before falling to earth with a delicate ping. Suddenly, a much larger star flew through the air, catching both Sicheng and Jisung’s attention, and they watched as it flew through the sky before falling to the ground with a large, yet beautiful explosion. As the two men watched, two little boys, one no older than ten with beautiful brown eyes and the other no older than eleven, was walking through the grass, studying the fallen star with wonder. 

“Sicheng, who are those kids?” Jisung asked. Sicheng studied the boys for a moment longer before he gasped.

“That’s Yuta and Taeil! Jisung, I know where we are!” he exclaimed as he ran over to the nearby stairs and ran down them, sprinting through the grass.

“Hyung! Wait! Where are we?!” Jisung exclaimed, running down the stairs and after the witch.

“We’re in Yuta’s childhood!” Sicheng shouted back as he continued to run. As he ran through the grass, stumbling as his shoes sometimes got caught in the mud, the stars continued to fall, some crashing next to him on the lake and transforming into the little star people like the ones that he had seen back in the palace with Lord Taeyong. He watched as the little star person ran across the lake before dying out, just as more continued to fall behind him.

“Shit!” he cursed as he continued to run, hoping to not get struck by one of the stars. Suddenly, one of the stars flew past him, making him stop and watch as it transformed into a little star person and ran across the water before dying out, almost as if it was never there.

“Sicheng hyung!” Jisung shouted, running over to the young man, panting heavily when he caught up to him.

“You run fucking fast” he panted, leaning over to place his hands on his knees to try and catch his breath. Sicheng looked over at him and smiled apologetically.

“Sorry” he apologized. Suddenly, the ground began to sink around them, almost like quicksand, pulling them under.

“Ah!” Sicheng exclaimed, pulling his feet out from the sinking mud before giving Jisung a hand. Just then, the largest falling star that Jisung or Sicheng had ever seen, one with an orange tail, fell through the sky, heading straight towards Yuta. Yuta’s eyes widened and before he could do anything, Taeil stepped in front of him, taking the star for him. 

“Taeil!” Yuta shouted, watching as his friend transformed into a blazing star, like the ones that were falling out of the sky. His eyes widened and he reached down, gently picking him up and holding him close to his chest, murmuring words that neither Sicheng nor Jisung could hear, before finally taking the blazing star and putting it up to his mouth, swallowing it.

“Did he just—” Jisung started when Sicheng put a hand on his arm.

“Shh” he hushed, watching as Yuta coughed in pain and clutched at his chest before slowly pulling his hands away to reveal his small heart surrounded by flames. 

“Oh my God! Taeil’s his heart!” Jisung whispered in wonder. Suddenly, the ring that Sicheng was wearing disintegrated, causing a huge gaping hole to open underneath them, making them both gasp. As they were being sucked down the hole, Sicheng looked over at young Yuta and Taeil, brown eyes filling with tears.

“Yuta! Taeil!” he called out, startling young Yuta and Taeil to look over at him with wide eyes.

“It’s me, Sicheng! I know how to help you now! Find me in the future!” he screamed before the hole swallowed him and Jisung whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


	18. Little Found Family

After Sicheng and Jisung were swallowed by the ground, they continued to fall through the darkness until they saw a soft glowing light in the distance.

“Sicheng, what’s that?” Jisung called out. Sicheng shook his head.

“I don’t know, but let’s head towards it” he replied, making his body as straight as a rod, shooting down faster towards the glowing light. Jisung followed his lead and the two men continued to shoot through the air until they shot through the glowing light and tumbled into the real world through the front door, panting and groaning in pain. Once they were on solid ground, the door disappeared into nothingness, as if it had never even been there. While Jisung was groaning and clutching at his head, Sicheng slowly pushed himself up off the ground, only to find Yuta, in his weakened, yet still monstrous form, waiting for them.

“Yuta” he whispered, slowly walking over to him and kneeling before him. He then parted the feathers that was surrounding the wizard’s face, revealing dull brown eyes and blood-covered skin.

“Yuta…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry I made you wait this long” he sobbed before he threw his arms around the wizard’s neck, crying into it. Yuta didn’t move as Sicheng cried but after a while, he moved his head slightly so that he was nuzzling the side of Sicheng’s head, almost as if he was comforting him. Sicheng sniffled as he pulled away, looking into Yuta’s dull eyes.

“Yuta, can you…can you take us to Taeil?” he asked softly. Yuta nodded his head slightly before he stood to his feet, revealing large bird feet, large enough for Jisung and Sicheng to stand on.

“Come on Jisung, let’s go” Sicheng called out. The young shapeshifter nodded and quickly ran over to where Sicheng was holding onto Yuta’s leg, holding onto it as well. Once they were both holding on, Yuta took off into the air and began to search for Taeil and the others.

~*~*~*~*~

As they were flying through the air, Jisung soon spotted a bare platform that was barely walking with two metal legs over a mountainside.

“Yuta, there!” he exclaimed. Yuta nodded slightly and flew down to where the platform was, landing gracefully enough for Jisung and Sicheng to get off before he collapsed into a heap of feathers that blew away in the wind, revealing his human form. 

“Yuta!” Sicheng exclaimed, kneeling next to the wizard’s body, turning him over so that he could see his face. While he was looking over Yuta, Jisung walked over to where Chenle, Ten, and Hansol were curled up in a ball as Johnny stood watch over them.

“Lele” he called out softly. Chenle head immediately shot up when he heard Jisung’s voice and when he saw the man standing before him, smiling slightly, he pushed himself to his feet and ran over to him.

“Jisung!” he cried, running into the shapeshifter’s open arms. Ten looked up as well from where he was curled in a ball and when he saw Sicheng, he let out a gasp.

“Sicheng!” he exclaimed. The young witch looked up from where he was looking over Yuta and when he saw Ten, his eyes filled with tears.

“Ten!” he cried, standing to his feet and running over to his friend, who was also standing now. The two embraced fiercely, hugging and crying as their grip tightened around each other until they could barely breathe. When they finally released one another, Sicheng looked over at Hansol and slowly walked over to him, standing before him.

“Let go of Yuta’s heart, Hansol” he ordered. Hansol looked up at him and shook his head.

“Don't look at me, I don't have it, I don't know what you're talking about” he replied. Sicheng snarled and suddenly magic began to crackle around him, eyes glowing white as fury coursed through his veins.

**“** **GIVE ME THE HEART HANSOL OR I’LL RIP YOURS OUT”** he roared, his magic growing with his anger. Hansol quivered before him, terrified of having his heart ripped out, so he relented and held up the heart. Sicheng let out a breath of relief and reigned in his magic, gently taking Yuta’s heart from Hansol hands. Just as he cupped the small fluttering heart in his hands, Hansol clasped his hands over his, making him look at the old witch in shock.

“Hansol—” he started.

“You better take good care of this heart, you hear? It’s not just Yuta’s heart, you know” Hansol stated, eyes flashing red. Sicheng blinked in shock before his face softened and he nodded.

“I know” he replied. Hansol nodded, smiling slightly.

“Good” he declared as he let go of Sicheng’s hands, allowing him to walk back over to where Yuta was laying. When he knelt next to the wizard’s body, Taeil suddenly appeared, rising weakly out of Yuta’s heart.

“Taeil” Sicheng whispered, looking at the demon in shock. Taeil smiled weakly.

“Hey Sicheng” he replied. Sicheng shook his head.

“I can’t believe you’re…” he trailed off, not sure how to end the sentence.

“Alive?” Taeil finished. Sicheng blushed, making Taeil chuckle.

“I can’t believe I am either. I’m so incredibly tired” he explained. Sicheng hummed.

“If I gave Yuta back his heart, what will happen to you?” he asked. Taeil shrugged.

“I’d be okay if you did it, I mean, you freaking blasted me with water and I’m still here so…” he reminded. Sicheng smiled slightly before he focused on the small heart in his palms.

“It’s so warm and fluttery, like a bird” he murmured. 

“Well, it is the heart of a child. Technically, the heart of two children, but let’s not get into that” Taeil stated. Sicheng smiled before he brought the small heart up to his mouth.

“Please…help Yuta take back his heart and help Taeil live” he prayed before he gently pressed the heart back into Yuta’s chest. Everyone crowded around him to see what would happen and suddenly a bright flash shot out of Yuta’s chest, revealing Taeil in a glowing child-like form.

“I’m alive! I'm alive! Look! I'm free! Free! I'm alive, I tell you!” he shouted, spinning in a circle before he shot off into the air. While everyone was watching Taeil fly away, Sicheng looked down at Yuta.

“Is he okay, Winwin-ge?” Chenle asked, looking at the witch. Sicheng looked over his shoulder and opened his mouth to speak when suddenly the legs underneath the platform suddenly disintegrated and sent the platform sliding down the side of the mountain.

“AHHHHHHH!!” everyone screamed as they continued to slide down the mountain.

“Sicheng! Do something!” Ten shouted. Sicheng held out his hand, ready to cast a spell, when Johnny jumped up and landed in front of the platform, using his pole to try and stop them from going careening off the side of the cliff. However, the slide ate away at his pole so much that when they stopped at the end of the cliff, his pole couldn’t hold out anymore and it snapped, sending them over the edge. Before they fell to their deaths, Sicheng threw out his arms, casting a floating spell that caused them to gently float down to the ground instead of them falling and breaking every bone in the body. When they safely landed on the ground, Sicheng looked over at Johnny’s snapped body and frowned.

“His pole snapped” he murmured. Ten looked over at the scarecrow’s broken body and smiled slightly.

“Give him here” he instructed. Sicheng looked over at his friend and raised an eyebrow but handed over the broken scarecrow anyways. When Ten took him in his arms, he smiled down at him.

“Don’t worry, we’ll fix you up real nice with a new pole, okay? Thank you for saving us as well” he murmured, placing a kiss on the scarecrow’s face. Suddenly, the scarecrow shot into the air and transformed into a tall young man with light skin, honey brown hair, and brown eyes dressed in a beautiful cream suit. Chenle, Jisung, Sicheng, Ten, and Hansol stared at him in shock.

“Thank you, Ten. I'm the prince, who's been missing from the neighboring kingdom. Somehow, I got that blasted spell put on me” he explained, looking at Ten with warmth. Ten blushed and Hansol chuckled.

“Ah, I know that spell. A kiss from your true love breaks it” he declared. Ten looked over at Hansol in shock before he looked up at Johnny.

“What?! True love?! I don’t even know you!” he exclaimed, making Sicheng giggle from behind. Johnny shook his head.

“Alas, you do not. But I would like to get to know you better” he replied with a low bow, making Ten’s cheeks burst into flames. Chenle, Jisung, and Hansol laughed at Ten’s embarrassment while Sicheng turned to look back at Yuta, who let out a groan.

“What's going on? What am I doing here?” he asked as he tried to sit up, only to flop back down in pain.

“Shit! Why does my chest hurt? It feels like there’s something heavy in it” he groaned. Sicheng chuckled and smiled at him with twinkling eyes.

“Well, a heart’s a heavy burden” he replied. When Yuta saw Sicheng before him, he slowly sat up and smiled as well.

“So, little witch, you managed to break my spell, did you?” he teased. Sicheng shrugged, smirking.

“I told you I would help you, if you just fucking let me” he replied. Yuta chuckled before he reached out and cupped Sicheng’s face in his hands, bringing him close as he kissed him deeply. Sicheng smiled as he kissed back just as deeply, making Chenle gag when he looked over at them.

“Gross” he grumbled. Jisung rolled his eyes before he leaned over and planted a kiss on Chenle’s cheek, making the young man blush deeply.

“Jisung!” he exclaimed. Jisung chuckled, feeling rather pleased with himself. Meanwhile, Johnny, Ten, and Hansol were still talking to one another while the others were in their own little world.

“You should go home and tell your king to stop this dumb war” Hansol stated, looking at Johnny. Johnny nodded.

“Of course. I will tell him at once and then, I will return” he declared. Ten raised an eyebrow.

“Return? Why would you return?” he asked, confused. Johnny smiled slightly.

“Because of you, Ten” he replied. Ten blushed deeply, making Hansol cackle. 

“Ah, young love. It’s so adorable” he declared. 

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, back at the palace, Taeyong was looking through his crystal ball, watching as Yuta and Sicheng were standing side by side at the top of the mountain, Jisung and Chenle at their side. Ten and Hansol were there as well and all of them were waving goodbye to Johnny as he headed back home.

“Hmm…it’s seems like Yuta found his true love. Good for him. Sicheng seems like the perfect match for him” he murmured before he looked over at Renjun.

“Get me the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense. It's time to put an end to this idiotic war” he declared before he looked over at a tall young man with light skin, ink black hair, and brown eyes standing in the shadows.

“Don’t you think so, dear?” he asked. Jung Jaehyun, the owner of the hat shop, smirked as he walked over to Taeyong, standing at his side.

“Yes, I think so” he agreed, eyes flashing blue. Renjun looked between the two men before nodded.

“Yes sirs” he replied. Once he left, Jaehyun looked over at Taeyong.

“You knew, didn’t you?” he asked. Taeyong looked over at him and smiled fondly.

“Of course I knew. I know everything” he replied. Jaehyun smiled before he leaned forward, kissing his husband on the lips.

“Yes, yes you do” he replied as he pulled away. Taeyong smiled as he leaned against Jaehyun, resting his head on Jaehyun’s shoulder as Jaehyun wrapped an arm around his waist, both men watching Yuta and his little family through the crystal ball.

~*~*~*~*~

Back up on the mountain top, Sicheng was resting his head on Yuta’s shoulder, sighing happily, when Chenle suddenly tugged on his arm.

“Winwin-ge, look! It’s Taeil!” he exclaimed. Sicheng lifted his head off of Yuta’s shoulder and smiled when he saw the little boy fly towards them.

“Hello Taeil” Yuta greeted, looking at his friend with tears in his eyes. Taeil looked over at him and sparkling tears fell from his eyes.

“Hey Yuta” he replied, a teary smile on his face.

“What are you doing back?” Sicheng, looking at the little boy with a raised eyebrow. Taeil looked over at him and blushed slightly.

“Well…you guys are my family, so I had to come back. And besides, I realized that I kind of missed you guys, and it looks like it's gonna rain…” he started, trailing off slightly, making all of the men laugh.

“We missed you too Taeil” Sicheng replied with a laugh. Taeil beamed before he flew over to him and threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly.

“Thank you” he whispered in his ear. Sicheng’s eyes widened before he wrapped his arms around his form, which was surprisingly solid, and gave him a good squeeze.

“You’re welcome. Thank you for saving Yuta all those years ago” he whispered back. Taeil pulled away, eyes wide, before he smiled and nodded.

“Of course. That’s what best friends are for” he murmured.

~*~*~*~*~

Years later, with the help of Sicheng and Yuta’s magic, they remade Yuta’s castle, but instead of it being a moving castle that traveled over land, they created it to be a flying castle, that soared high above the world. Inside the castle, Ten was teaching Johnny, who kept his promise and came back to him, marrying him as soon as he returned, how to bake, while outside in the garden area, Chenle and Jisung were practicing new spells under the watchful eye of Taeil, who sat comfortably in his hearth in his human form, and Hansol, who was relaxing in a comfortable lawn chair. As for Yuta and Sicheng, they were standing on a small balcony that overlooked all of creation, leaning against one another. As they looked over the world, Sicheng glanced over at Yuta before looking down at the gold ring that gleamed on his right ring finger.

“What are you thinking about, little witch?” Yuta purred, wrapping an arm around his waist. Sicheng smiled and looked over at the wizard, tears filling his eyes.

“I’m just thinking about how happy I am” he replied. Yuta chuckled as he reached up and brushed away the tears that began to slip down Sicheng’s face.

“I’m glad you’re happy” he murmured before he leaned in and kissed his husband deeply, pulling him close. Sicheng smiled into the kiss, leaning in slightly before he pulled away and rested his head against the wizard’s shoulder.

“I love you, Yuta” he whispered. Yuta smiled as he leaned down and placed a kiss on Sicheng’s hair.

“I love you too, Winko” he murmured. The two then looked out at the blue sky before them, content smiles on their faces. They had found each other and that was more than they could ever hope for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you all enjoyed this story! It was a lot of fun to write! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe! And please also check out some of my other works!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this story! Please don't hesitate to leave comments, kudos, bookmark, and subscribe!


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